The Nebari Factor
by HumansRSuperior
Summary: Shortly after the conclusion of PKW, Crichton and crew are swept off to Nebari Prime, now the epicenter of a violent civil war and birthplace of a sinister plot to enslave the galaxy under Nebari rule. In spite of his best efforts, Crichton is unable to
1. Default Chapter

**Title:** The Nebari Factor  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Beta:** Edited by my wonderful brother who is now an offical Scaper!  
**Spoilers:** Up to PKW  
**Time Frame: **Two months after PKW  
**Disclaimers:** None of it's mine! But you guys know that!

**Author's Note:** Finally, I'm getting it up! I meant to have it up a little earlier than this, but you know, editing and stuff takes a while...Anyways! I actually got the idea for this story while writing Chapter Nine of Remember Me. Some of you may remember, there was a short scene regarding the Nebari in that chapter. So like a load of ideas came flooding into my mind just from writing that scene. All right, enough of that blab. I should probably tell you that the first chapter is a big lengthy, hope you don't mind, I couldn't really find any other good place to stop it. Well anyways, I've been working on this for a while now, and I've been working hard on it, so I really hope that everyone likes it! Please leave feedback to let me know what you think once you're finished reading!

**CHAPTER I**

_"We're done. We're checking out. Phinito. Next Ferengi we see, we run. No questions later."_

**John Crichton: The Peacekeeper Wars**

**Letting out another heavy** sigh of impatience, John spun around on his heel and walked back across the floor. He tapped his fingers on Winona and ran his tongue over his lips a couple times.

Aeryn let out an irritated sigh and glared at him. "Would you stop doing that?"

"Stop doing what?" he asked and took another glance out the hangar doors.

"_Moving_." she growled, and quickly lashed out her hand to grab him by the arm, pulling him to a stop. "Just sit still. That's not going to make her get here any quicker."

"Sorry." He reached up to scratch at the spot behind his ear and looked back over his shoulder out the hangar doors.

"_John!_"

His head instantly snapped back around to face her. "What?"

"She'll be here. Just calm down."

"I know she'll get here, Aeryn. What I'm worried about is why she's coming back."

Aeryn looked at him slightly startled. "What, you don't want her to come back?"

"Of course I do! I love her and I miss her, but...well, you heard the message she sent." He shook his head as he exhaled short and sharp. "I just hope she's not gonna try to pull us into something."

"We won't let her." Aeryn said almost coldly. "She knows that we stopped getting into things so that we can raise D'Argo."

"Yeah, but you know what she's like."

"She hasn't been the same ever since the war, John." she reminded him grimly.

John stared at the floor with a grave and sorrowful expression. "Yeah, I know."

"Maybe she got tired of Hynerians." she suggested.

He smiled faintly. "I wouldn't be surprised." He shook his head again. "In the transmission she said she really needed to talk to us. And she sounded scared, Aeryn."

Before Aeryn could make a response, the sound of the outter hangar doors opening echoed throughout the large chamber and they heard the familiar sound of a transport pod engine. They watched it come to a stop in front of them and slowly land. The engines instantly powered down and steam shot out from the sides.

John bit his tongue and his heart beat quicker. It had only been two months and he missed her so badly already.

She came down the stairs of the transport pod in a run. Once her feet hit the floor she froze and very slowly looked up at them.

John felt pure joy at seeing her again and he couldn't help the wide smile that broke out on his face. "Hey Pip."

Chiana smiled back at him brightly. "Hey old man." She started toward him with a casual stride, but halfway there she broke into a run. She lunged at him and wrapped her arms around him in a fierce hug. When they finally pulled away from each other, Chiana was smiling broadly with small tears in her eyes and she said to both of them, "I've missed ya guys so frelling much."

"We missed you too, Chiana." Aeryn said with her own large smile.

When Chiana saw the baby cradled carefully in Aeryn's arms, her eyes lit up even more. "Little Crichton!" she exclaimed excitedly as she bounced over to him. "Whoa, he's gotten big." she said with adoration and softly stroked his chubby cheek with her finger.

Then she glanced around the hanger. "It's nice to be back on Moya." She turned to John. "How've you guys been doin' out here on your own?"

"It's been great, Pip." John replied, and his eyes went to his wife and son. "Really great." he said more softly.

When he looked back at her, he was startled by her expression. She looked...guilty, scared...To put it quite frankly, she looked like she had some bad news.

"I uh..." She stopped briefly to lick her lips and swallow. "There's s-something that I uh...that I need to tell you guys."

"As you said in your transmission." Aeryn stated. "What's the matter, Chiana? Are you in trouble?"

Chiana looked at Aeryn with a wide, fake smile. "Are you kidding? I wouldn't come and bug you guys with my problems." Her smile wavered and she let out a nervous rush of breath. "Okay I guess you could say I'm in trouble, but that's not why I'm here!"

"Chiana, tell us what the problem is." John tried not to make his voice too firm, but that's how it ended up sounding.

Chiana looked down at the floor and shuffled her feet nervously. "On Hyneria, I...I got attacked by some Nebari from the Establishment. I got away from them but, well I...The next day Rygel told me that he got news that the Establishment have people out looking for me, and..." Her pause dragged on as she stared at the floor.

"And what, Chiana?" John pressed.

She looked up at him, meeting his eyes with hers, looking like she'd rather die than say what she was about to tell him. "They're looking for you too, Crichton."

For a minute he only stared at her in silence, his expression unchanged. Then his brow creased in utter confusion. "Why would the Nebari be looking for me?"

"Some people from the Resistance that work for Neri found me on Hyneria. They told me that...well they said civil war has broken out on Nebari Prime. It started only about a weeken ago. The Peacekeepers have allied with the Resistance to help them in the war. That's all I know. They uh...they wanted to know if you were with me on Hyneria, and when I...when I told them no, they asked me if I knew where you were. I said I didn't know and they...they didn't look too happy."

"So the Resistance is looking for him as well." Aeryn's voice was flat and she shifted her eyes over to John. "Why would the Nebari be after John, Chiana?"

Chiana shook her head. "I don't...I don't know. I came as son as I could to tell you, I...I thought you'd wanna know."

Pilot's voice interrupted their conversation. "Commander?"

"Yeah Pilot?"

"Moya is detecting a Peacekeeper command carrier on the edge of her scanners."

All three of them went tense and their eyes grew wide.

"_What?_" John snapped angrily.

"I'm...receiving a transmission from them." Pilot said. "From Commandant Grayza."

John felt his stomach drop and a bitter taste flooded his mouth.

"What does she want, Pilot?" Aeryn asked flatly.

There was a brief silence before Pilot replied. "She...says that she is here representing the Nebari Resistance. And it's highly important that she speak with Commander Crichton and Chiana. And she requests that you come aboard the command carrier."

Aeryn looked at John with an upset expression. "Why the frell does Grayza and both sides of the Nebari want you?"

John didn't look any happier than she did. "I dunno. But I ain't going over there."

"Well what...w-what are we gonna do?" Chiana asked shakily, taking a step closer to him. "Can we starburst away?"

"Grayza most likely has Moya targeted so that if we try to starburst, she'll fire and stop us." Aeryn reported quickly, each word tinted with anger.

"Officer Sun is correct." Pilot said. "The command carrier has their weapons locked onto Moya. If we attempted starburst -"

"We know, Pilot." John interrupted. "It'd be suicide. But I still ain't going. If Grayza wants to talk, she can come here."

"Grayza would never go for that, Crichton." Chiana said.

He shrugged. "I'm cool with that. We don't have to talk at all, then."

Chiana looked like her dreams had just been crashed. "B-but Crichton..."

"Pip, if you wanna go, then go."

She stepped up closer to him and spoke with desperation. "But...but Crichton, I - I don't wanna go over there by myself..."

"Chiana, we've been over this." John reminded her firmly. "Aeryn and I are _done_."

"So what are you gonna do, Crichton?" Chiana snapped suddenly. "Huh? You can't starburst, and you'd never get away in a transport pod!"

John pressed his lips together into a tight, thin line, knowing she was right.

Aeryn studied John for a moment before turning to Chiana. "Chiana, could you give us a microt?"

Chiana looked back and forth between the two before she answered. "S-sure. No problem."

Once she left, Aeryn turned back to John, who had his eyes closed and was pinching the bridge of his nose. "What do you want to do?" she asked quietly.

"I'd say grab a transport pod and run. But we can't abandon Moya and Pilot with the Peacekeepers on their backs." He sighed again, and turning toward her, he put his hands around her waist to pull her to him and leaned his forehead against hers. "I have to go." he said quietly, his voice filled with regret. "If I don't, they'll just drag me over there anyways. And I don't wanna risk anyone getting hurt." He softly stroked his sleeping son's head, still cradled in Aeryn's arms.

"That's just giving Grayza what she wants." she told him.

"I know. But we don't have any other choice."

Aeryn sighed lightly and reached up to stroke his face. "Are you sure?"

He hesitated briefly before answering. "Yes."

She brought her lips up to his in a sweet and tender kiss, just briefly running her tongue over his lip. When she pulled back, she said, "Then we better get ready."

John went stiff and leaned back enough to look her in the face. "Honey, if you come...who's gonna look after Little D?"

Aeryn looked down at their son with a ponderous expression. "He can't come on the command carrier..."

"Definitely don't want him over there." John agreed. "But we have no babysitter, and we can't leave him by himself."

She looked up at him again and he recognized the look of an idea in her eyes. "The DRDs can watch him."

John's eyebrows shot up. "The DRDs?"

"There's no one better than Moya and Pilot to watch him." Aeryn said. "I'll feed him before we leave so that he won't get hungry. And that should keep him asleep for at least an arn."

He didn't look comfortable with that idea at all. "Aeryn, you should just stay with him."

She nearly glared at him. "You're not going over there without me."

"Honey -"

"I"m coming with you, John." She said it in a firm, commanding tone, and he knew the topic was no longer up for discussion.

**John continued to try **and convince Aeryn to stay on Moya. But once she shot him a dark look, he instantly shut up. He knew that at that point, if he pushed her any further he'd get his head knocked off. So they grabbed their black leather coats, strapped on their pulse pistols, left their baby son D'Argo under the care of five DRDs, including 1812 (much to John's discomfort) and headed off with Chiana to the command carrier.

The ride there took place in complete silence. John had half expected Chiana to be bubbling with excitement, but she didn't make a sound or move a muscle. He was actually fairly worried about her...

John sat up straight as Aeryn flew the pod into one of the many docking bays on the command carrier. Truthfully, he felt nervous and yes, a bit scared. Of course he would never admit this, but he figured Aeryn could probably tell. He wasn't nervous and scared because it was a big ship full of mean little Peacekeepers, no, what he was afraid of was what Grayza and the Resistance wanted with him. He had no history with the Nebari the way he did with the Peacekeepers, and he didn't know how fast news had traveled after the war, but he had a gut feeling this might have something to do with wormholes. He knew that Grayza and Scorpius learned their lesson, as well as the rest of the Peacekeepers and the Scarrans. But he could think of no other reason why Grayza wanted him. He hadn't mentioned this to Aeryn, but she probably was thinking the same thing.

He looked at her from the corner of his eye. Her composure was stiff and her face blank. She was uncomfortable, no doubt, about being back on a command carrier. When they had been on Scorpius' command carrier a little over a cycle ago, he had noticed something had been bothering her but never asked because he knew she wouldn't tell him. He pushed those thoughts away, reminding himself that was all in the past and none of it mattered any more. He glanced at her again and couldn't help but be concerned.

As soon as the transport pod landed inside the command carrier, Chiana was on her feet. John snagged her by the arm to stop her from heading for the door.

"Pip, calm down." he said softly.

"But I wanna see him, Crichton." Chiana said shakily. "I wanna see Neri."

"I know." he said with a nod. "But we have to be careful. And he might not even be here."

She swallowed and nodded and he let go of her arm.

John and Aeryn climbed down the stairs of the transport pod. John casually dropped his hand to rest lightly on Winona. His stomach tightened at the sight of a row of Peacekeepers on either side of a long red carpet that he, Aeryn and Chiana stepped onto. And when he spotted Grayza waiting at the end of the carpet, his mouth tasted bitter and he shoved aside flash backs before they could play through his mind.

"Are you all right?" Aeryn whispered to him as they walked down the carpet. She must have noticed the way he suddenly tensed up.

"I'm fine." he whispered back. "What about you? You gonna be all right?"

"I'll be fine."

The closer they came to Grayza, the tighter the knot in his stomach became. The sight of her repelled him and he wanted to wipe the smug smile off her face. But he bit his tongue, resisting the urge to do so and ignored the dirty feeling crawling across his skin. He stopped a few paces in front of her, not wanting to be any closer.

"Commander John Crichton," Grayza greeted. "It is an honor and a pleasure to meet you once again."

"Can't say the same for you." John replied with a hint of bitterness. "So what do you want this time?"

Grayza's smile became even more smug. "Follow me."

John followed her with his hand still resting on Winona, and Aeryn and Chiana close behind him. He ignored the curious glances and murmurs of passersby as they walked down the corridors.

Grayza came to a halt at a doorway and turned to face them, her eyes resting on Chiana. "One of your brother's people is waiting to speak with you."

"I don't think so." John said abruptly. "She doesn't leave my sight."

Grayza looked at him with one raised eyebrow. "Don't you trust me, Crichton?"

"Hell no." he replied in the same cold tone.

"What I said is true. I am here representing the Nebari Resistance." Grayza had her gaze set on John.

"So what, you think that's gonna make me trust you?"

Chiana came up beside John. "Crichton, it's okay."

He looked at her and shook his head. "Pip, we are not separating."

"I can take care of myself, Crichton." she persisted.

Pursing his lips, he looked over at Aeryn who gave him a curt nod. "Fine." he said reluctantly. He stared at Chiana straight in the eyes. "The microt you get uncomfortable or suspect something -"

"I'll comm you." she said somewhat irritably.

"You need not worry, Crichton." Grayza interrupted. "I called you here for a discussion on an important issue, nothing more."

"Right." he said with skepticism as he watched Chiana enter the room. When the door slid shut behind her, the knot in his stomach got a little tighter.

Looking back at Grayza, he cocked his head slightly to the side in question of what was next. Grayza turned and continued to walk, speaking as she did so.

"You're probably not aware that civil war has broken out on Nebari Prime."

"I am, actually."

"And the Peacekeepers have allied with the Resistance." It was a statement, but Aeryn was really asking why.

"Of course." answered Grayza. "We do not wish to see the galaxy enslaved by the Establishment. However our numbers have decreased considerably since the war with the Scarrans. The number of our loss was great."

"So you're still recovering." John summed up. "So what does this have to do with me and Chiana?"

"Chiana's brother Neri only asked me to retrieve her, nothing more."

"Uh huh. I'm surprised you go for that." John said with skepticism. "So what does any of this have to do with me?" he asked again.

Grayza's eyes went sharp and her stare sent a shiver crawling down his spine. "We need your help."

The feeling he had that this had something to do with the wormhole weapon now burned inside him. He stared at her with a mix of disbelief and anger. "You need my help." he repeated.

"How could he be of any help to you?" Aeryn asked, her eyes now cold daggers.

Grayza's stare was still set hard on John. "Your name and the threat of the wormhole weapon is known through out the galaxy."

His heart stopped and his lips parted. "You have got to be kidding me."

"You want him to use it again?" Aeryn's voice carried the same tone of utter disbelief as John's.

"Didn't you learn _anything?_" John snapped at her.

Grayza's stare turned to a dark glare. "Do not mistake me for a fool. Of course I don't want you to use it. I only want to threaten them with it."

"So you wanna scare the crap out of them and make 'em tremble in their shoes." John said bitterly. "You don't need me there for that. Do it yourself."

"The Establishment is well aware of your history with Peacekeepers." Grayza told him, her voice gradually becoming firmer. "They will not believe the threat unless you are there."

"And what if it doesn't work?" Aeryn interjected. "What if it doesn't scare them?"

Grayza finally moved her eyes off John to look at Aeryn. "That is a chance that we must take."

John was already shaking his head. "I won't do it."

Grayza's head snapped in his direction. "It could end the war, Crichton. All I ask from you is a simple bluff."

"No." he said again with a sharp shake of his head. "I'm not gonna do it, Grayza. Deal with it."

For a brief moment she looked infuriated. But then a slow, wicked smile stretched across her lips and her eyes gleamed. "Do you see that child there?" she asked, her head now turned to look through a large glass viewing window they had been standing next to.

Both John and Aeryn shifted slightly to look. The room was highly decorated, and there were two Sebacean females, one of which was holding a small baby.

John returned his cold gaze to Grayza. "What about it?" He didn't understand what the kid had to do with anything, and quite frankly, he didn't give a damn.

The sharp gleam in her eyes brightened, making him rather uncomfortable. And her dark lips twisted even more into a smug smile.

"That child in there," she began, speaking carefully with a highly prideful tone. "Belongs to you, John Crichton."

It was as if time had stopped and the air had suddenly grown immensely heavy. Realization swept over him, and a sickening feeling twisted hard in his stomach. His mind had ceased to function as well.

Aeryn, however, did not understand. As soon as the words had left Grayza's mouth, her brow had furrowed with pure vexation. She glanced at the infant in the other room and then at Grayza, who had a positively pleased expression on her face. It wasn't until she looked at John that it finally clicked. All her senses and emotions mixed and blurred together, leaving her feeling completely numb as she stared open mouthed at her husband.

"Son of a bitch," John muttered in a rush of breath.

"If you do not come with me, Crichton," Grayza spoke, her shoulders back and chin high. "I can make life very unpleasant for your child."

He looked back at the baby, his face still expressing a look of pure shock. When he returned his eyes to Grayza, his face had changed to an expression of pure hatred and absolute disgust. "You birthed it to use as a bargaining chip?" his voice was low and thick with venom.

"You have one arn to decide." She glanced at Aeryn with a smug smile before departing with a bounce in her stride.

It was then that John realized what Aeryn had just heard. He had been so shocked and angry that he hadn't noticed. Those emotions melted away quickly and dread pitted in his stomach as he slowly turned to face Aeryn. He couldn't read her expression, or lack there of, which was a very bad sign. But he could see that her eyes had become sharply cold and he could practically feel the anger seeping out from her. He swallowed hard but the large lump that had formed in his throat remained.

"Aeryn," he started carefully, his tone cautious and quiet. "It's not what you think."

She was not looking at him. Her icy stare remained aimed in the direction that Grayza had left. "And what do I think, John?" Her voice was completely level, masking all her emotions, which only made her tone all the more chilling.

"It wasn't -" He stopped and wiped his hand over his mouth. Already the vile memory was at the front of his mind and he tried desperately to push it away. "I guess you could say she drugged me with something, and I...I couldn't fight it."

Aeryn's eyes snapped to his face and he could see her bristle with anger. "She used heppel oil."

"Yes." He was glad she knew about it, he didn't want to have to explain it.

"She raped you." Aeryn stated, emotion now breaking her voice.

He closed his eyes as the feeling of utter violation passed down his body. He inhaled sharply and opened his eyes to look at her again. "You could put it that way."

After staring at him in silence for a moment, which nearly gave him a heart attack, she began to walk. Fast. John reached out to stop her.

"Aeryn -"

She pulled away from him and continued on without a word. But he quickly caught up to her and grabbing her by the arm, he pulled her to stop.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to kill the frelling tralk."

He shook his head. "No, Aeryn, you can't do that."

She glared at him. "Why not? Are you defending her now?"

"Aeryn, it's not like that."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Aeryn asked suddenly, now sounding more hurt than angry.

John met her eyes and his chest tightened with pain and sorrow. Heavy guilt was pulsing through his body. When he spoke, his voice was low and trembling slightly. "Aeryn...all I wanted was to forget it ever happened."

"I deserve to know, John." she said, her voice losing its steadiness.

"I know. I've thought about telling you, but I just..." He shook his head softly. "I didn't know how."

"It's easy. You open your mouth and tell me."

John stared at her momentarily speechless. This was not going well.

"When did it happen?"

"Aeryn, please - "

"_When?_"

He licked his lips and swallowed before answering. "On Arnessk, about a year ago." He averted his eyes from her face and said quietly, "After you left Moya."

He felt her stiffen. "I could have stopped it."

"Aeryn, you don't know that."

"If I had been there it would've never happened."

John lifted his eyes to her face and was startled at seeing tears pooling in her eyes. But she blinked and they were gone. His throat went dry as his heart pounded with more pain, wanting desperately to make this right.

"Aeryn..." He stopped and leaned forward to gently press his forehead to hers. But she pulled back before he could.

"So what are you going to do, John?" Her expression had gone hard again, as well as her voice.

He stared at her hurt and baffled. "What?"

"About the war."

Oh. That. He stiffly turned to look at the baby again...his child. He knew that what he was about to say would not go over well. "I have to do it, Aeryn. It's my kid, despite everything, and I can't let anything happen to 'im. He didn't do anything to deserve that."

She stepped up next to him. "What about me and our son? What about your promise?"

He bowed his head and his heart sunk.

Her voice became louder. "How many times did you say it, John? That we're done with all this dren so that we can raise our child?"

John's mouth was pressed into a thin line and his eyes were closed. "I'm sorry, Aeryn." He faced her and looked as though he might cry. "Any promises I make...fate just decides to make it so I can't keep 'em."

"This has nothing to do with fate, John!" Aeryn said firmly. "This is completely your choice!"

"I can't let my child die, Aeryn."

"How do you even know it's yours?" she snapped. "It could be a bluff!"

John shook his head softly. "It's not." He knew by the way Grayza had watched him. "And even if it is...I can't take that chance."

When Aeryn spoke again, her tone was softer. "If you do this John, Grayza will pull us in deeper."

"I know." He turned to face her. "Aeryn, if you want to stay - "

"You know better than to suggest that." she interrupted, meeting his eyes. "You go nowhere without me, John."

"And what about D'Argo?"

"What about him?"

"We're about to walk into a war, Aeryn."

She shot him a glare. "Exactly."

**John glanced at Aeryn** sideways again and pursed his lips. She hadn't spoken to him at all since they left Grayza's office. He knew she was mad, but he couldn't tell if it was because of what happened between him and Grayza, because he didn't tell her about it, or because he agreed to take part in this war. It was probably all three. Aeryn had every right to be pissed at him, but it was driving him crazy.

"You still mad at me?" Stupid question, but he wanted to hear her voice. She made no response and he looked over at her. "Take that as a yes."

They finally came to the room where they had separated from Chiana. She was waiting for them eagerly inside and jumped to her feet as soon as they entered.

"Crichton! Are you all right? What did Grayza want?"

John plopped himself down in one of the many black leather chairs around a long table in the center of the room. "Yeah, I'm fine, Chi. I'm just swell."

"What did they want with you, Chiana?" Aeryn asked, her voice still monotonous. 

Chiana turned to look at Aeryn. "Since the Establishment has people all over the place looking for me, Neri thinks I'll be safer with him." Her voice level dropped and she looked over at John. "I'm going to Nebari Prime. But there are still gonna be people out looking for Moya..."

"Doesn't matter." John mumbled.

"Wha...what d'ya mean?" Chiana asked with a cock of her head.

"We're coming too." he answered simply.

Chiana's jaw dropped slightly and she looked at Aeryn who had only a blank expression. She turned back to John. "What did Grayza say, Crichton? What...what does she want from you this time? More wormholes?"

John glanced quickly at Aeryn before answering. "Pretty much, yeah."

"B-but you can't do it anymore!" Her voice was gradually getting louder. "You told her that, right?"

"No Pip, I didn't tell her because she wouldn't believe me. And it doesn't matter anyways, all she wants me to do is threaten the Nebari with it."

Chiana looked at Aeryn again with disbelief. "You're gonna let him do it?"

"He doesn't have a choice."Aeryn replied with a flat voice.

Chiana looked at John, who had his eyes locked with Aeryn's. She looked back and forth between the two. "What's going on? What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothin'." John said as he stood up. "Grayza's agreed to let us go back to Moya and follow the command carrier to Nebari Prime. Let's get off this boat."

**As soon as they** got back to Moya, Aeryn headed straight to retrieve her son while John headed to Pilot's den to let him know what was going on. As soon as D'Argo was back in Aeryn's possession and tightly secured in her arms, she headed back to her quarters. Her son was undoubtedly hungry and she wanted to be alone. There were things that she needed to spend some thinking time on.

Thinking back, Aeryn couldn't believe she never realized how John acted around Grayza. In the past, anytime they were around Grayza or anytime someone mentioned her name John would tense up. And any time he said her name or talked about her, or even when he was speaking to her, his voice carried thick bitterness. She never thought anything of it until now, and it made her feel a strong pang of pain for her husband. Grayza haunted him. In a different way than Scorpius ever did, but just as powerful.

She was not angry with John for what Grayza did to him. It was in no way his fault, she knew that. She was well aware of the reputation that Grayza carried and she knew all about heppel oil. But she was angry with him for never telling her about it. They'd been married for over two monens and he never even said a word! She could understand his pain, but she felt she had a right to know.

Aeryn did realize that she was being somewhat hypocritical. Once they finally were back together, they had never brought up their time away from each other. Not once. There were things that she knew she should probably tell him, but none of them were this severe.

Another reason she was angry with him, the biggest reason, was that he agreed to do what Grayza wanted from him. He was heading straight into a war to make an empty threat. All for the sake of a child that had been conceived with Grayza, that he had never seen or touched or even knew about. She was still skeptical as to whether the child was really John's. It could all be one big bluff. John seemed convinced though. Maybe he was right, he would most likely know if it was his.

The child was another thing that greatly angered her. Not at John, but at Grayza. She gave birth to his child, a privilege that she by no means deserved, and did it only so that John would do anything she commanded. It infuriated Aeryn to no end.

She also couldn't help the feeling that she and D'Argo were taking second place. Even though she knew that wasn't true. But the fact that John had promised her repeatedly that they were done with adventures so that they could live happily and safely and raise their son, only to break that promise and join a war to save a child that he had never known and was mothered by Grayza, hurt her deeply.

D'Argo stretched in her arms as he yawned widely, finished with his meal, and settled in close to her stomach to sleep. She smiled at him softly and carefully rearranged the blanket around him.

"Aeryn?"

She turned and looked up to find Chiana standing just outside her quarters. "Yes Chiana?" she spoke softly so as not to wake her son.

"You okay?" The young Nebari wore a concerned expression as she walked in the room.

"Yes I'm fine." Aeryn replied with her eyebrows slightly furrowed in confusion.

"Is...is everything okay with you and Crichton?" Chiana asked, somewhat nervously.

Aeryn stared at Chiana with a hard gaze. "Does something give you the impression it's not?"

Chiana nervously licked her lips before replying. "Well uh, on the way back here in the transport pod...neither of you guys said a word. And you didn't look at him once and he kept looking at you like there was no tomorrow." She stopped to swallow. "I mean anyone could tell - What happened on the command carrier? What's going on between you two?"

"It's none of your business, Chiana." Aeryn said sharply, wanting to end the conversation.

"I...I know... But I feel responsible for getting you guys into this. If it has anything to do with -"

"It's not because of you, Chiana." Aeryn cut her off, her voice a bit more gentle than before. "Part of it has to do with the war, yes."

Chiana was silent a moment before speaking. "Well, can I...Is there any way I can help?"

Aeryn shook her head. "No Chiana, this is between me and John."

Chiana nodded softly, looking sorrowful. "Well I hope you guys work it out." She turned and began to walk away.

Suddenly a thought occurred to Aeryn and she spun around. "Chiana,"

The Nebari halted and looked at Aeryn.

"You were with John the first time he went to Arnessk, weren't you?"

"Yeah." Chiana nodded, looking curious. "With Jool, Sikozu and..." She swallowed and said quietly. "D'Argo..."

Aeryn suddenly felt bad for having brought it up, but she needed to know something. "So you...you knew about what happened to John?"

Chiana's lips perked into a confused smile. "What? What d'ya mean what happened to him? A lot of things happened."

When Aeryn next spoke, her voice was dark. "I'm talking about what happened with him and Grayza."

Chiana instantly went completely still and her smile faded slowly. She took a step back as she whispered sharply, "Frell."

Aeryn's dark eyes became sharp daggers. "So you knew. All this time you knew."

"Aeryn -"

"Why didn't you ever tell me, Chiana?" Aeryn barked.

"It's not my story to tell, Aeryn!" Chiana yelled defensively.

D'Argo shifted in Aeryn's arms, drawing her attention. His face scrunched up with displeasure and he let out short bursts of cries. Aeryn immediately began to croon softly as she gently rocked him. He soon calmed down and Aeryn tenderly stroked his face with one finger.

"I'm sorry, Chiana." she apologized, her eyes still on her child.

"S'okay." Chiana replied with a small smile and a shrug. Her smile then slowly disappeared and she asked, "Did you just find about...you know...the thing?"

Aeryn nodded gravely in response.

"You're not...you're not mad at Crichton, are you? 'Cause it wasn't his fault -"

"I know, Chiana. I'm angry with him for never telling me about it, and for agreeing to take part in this war."

"Well uh, what does that - what Grayza did to him - have to do with the Nebari civil war?" Chiana asked, her voice shaking slightly with nervousness.

"John and I haven't really had the chance to talk about it yet." Aeryn said, looking up at Chiana. "If anyone tells you, Chiana, it should be John. Not me."

"Hey, that's cool." Chiana said with a shy smile. "I understand. But Aeryn..." Her tone became serious, causing the two females to lock eyes. "Be easy on him. He had a really rough time while you were away. And that - you know, what happened, it really affected him."

Guilt and sorrow swelled in her stomach and clenched in her chest. She blinked back hot tears before they even had the chance to appear, and nodded.

Chiana smiled faintly before leaving.

Aeryn sunk down onto one of the stools by the table and let the tears spring to her eyes. For the first time she tried to imagine how hard this must be for John, and it hurt so badly. She felt even worse for reacting the way she did and how she had treated him. She wanted to go and find him, but she was shaking so much she wasn't sure if she could walk.

She hoped that he'd be coming back to their quarters soon.

**John walked away from **Pilot's den heavy-hearted. He was still thinking about Aeryn, had been thinking about her ever since she had found out about his history with Grayza. He understood her anger, he knew he'd feel the same in her position. And he knew that by not keeping his promise to her, he had hurt her. He never wanted that, he didn't want her to be hurt and he hated himself for being the one that caused her pain. He wanted desperately to make it better, but he didn't know how.

He walked into their quarters with a pounding heart and a knot in his stomach. Little D was sound asleep in his crib and Aeryn was sitting on their bed. John swallowed hard in a dry throat when she looked up at him. He stiffly walked over to the bed and shakily sat down beside her.

"Aeryn, we need to talk." he said softly.

The first words out of her mouth was not what he was expecting at all.

"I'm sorry."

He looked at her with raised eyebrows. "What the hell are you apologizing for?"

She had not yet met his gaze when she spoke. "For reacting the way I did on the command carrier."

"Aeryn, you have every reason to be pissed off."

"John, I..." she shook her head. "I understand why you never said anything about it, but it just..."she took in a deep, trembling breath.

His warm fingers softly grazed over the skin on her shoulder. "I know, baby, I'm sorry." He leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to her shoulder. "And I'm so sorry for not keeping my promise." he murmured against her skin. "I just...it's my child, Aeryn. I can't let anything happen to it."

"It's important to you. That's all that matters."

"No, it is not all that matters."

"Well it's enough for me." She finally turned her head to meet his eyes with hers. "If it matters to you, John, then it matters to me."

He gazed at her at a loss for words. His forehead creased with sorrow, and he parted his lips to move his jaw around slightly, still looking for words. Lifting his hand, he gently ran his fingers down a strand of her hair and said, "Honey, if you don't want to get into this -"

"I already told you, John, you don't go anywhere without me." she firmly reminded him. "Ever."

Smiling faintly, he leaned in to kiss her neck, his chest pressing against her shoulder. He grunted against her skin disapprovingly at the difficult angle. She laughed softly, making his heart flutter and he slowly pushed her down on the bed. She already had her mouth parted, waiting for him, and he brought his lips down firmly on hers.

Suddenly Moya violently lurched to the side, throwing them off the bed and sending them crashing to the floor, landing hard on top of each other. Loud, wailing cries instantly erupted from D'Argo. The lights flickered and Moya shakily went upright again.

"Pilot!" John shouted as he and Aeryn got to their feet. "What the hell was that? Do not tell me that came from Grayza's command carrier!"

"No Commander," came Pilot's voice filled with alarm. "It did not come from the command carrier. There is another large vessel nearby."

"Well who the hell is stupid enough to attack us when we've got a Peacekeeper command carrier escorting us?" John barked.

"I don't know, Commander." Pilot replied. "I do not recognize the vessel. I have never seen anything like it."

John and Aeryn exchanged looks.

"Okay, this is bad." John mumbled.

Moya tipped again, less violently than the last time.

"What the frell's going on?" Chiana's voice crackled angrily over the comms.

"Commander, I have received a message from the command carrier asking if anyone is hurt." Pilot announced.

"Tell 'em we're fine, Pilot." John growled. "But tell Grayza to hurry up and get these ass holes off our back!"

Moya shook again, and John grabbed hold of Aeryn so that she wouldn't fall with D'Argo in her arms.

"Pilot," Aeryn shouted. "Can Moya try to dodge the attacks?"

"Moya can no longer move!" Pilot said with panic. "They have us trapped in some sort of...invisible web!"

"Damn it." John hissed. "We gotta get Little D somewhere safe."

Chiana came running into their room. "Crichton, what the frell -"

Pilot interrupted her. "Commander, the command carrier is firing on the vessel, but it's causing no damage to the vessel whatsoever!"

"_What?_" all three of them shouted simultaneously.

"And a smaller craft is departing from the vessel and trying to dock!"

"Can you stop them, Pilot?"

Moya rocked violently, sending Chiana to the floor and John held on tightly to Aeryn while bracing himself against the wall. D'Argo's cries were screams now, and the lights flickered and went out completely. Moya went still.

"Pilot?" John called.

No response.

"Pilot!"

Still no response.

"Crap." John hissed. "This is really bad."

Chiana shrieked as she struggled to her feet. "I'm gonna kill those fekkicks!"

"Okay, first we need to find a safe place to stash D'Argo." John started.

Aeryn twisted around to look at him. "I am not leaving him, John."

"Then find a place to hide and stay with him."

"I am _not_ going to hide!"

"Aeryn! We don't have a choice!" John snapped. "We don't have time to find a babysitter! Either hide him or hide with him."

She sighed with heavy reluctance. "Fine. I'll stay with him." She held D'Argo tighter against her and pulled out her pulse pistol.

"Make sure you find a good hiding spot."

"I will."

John turned to Chiana. "Pip, I want you to get to Pilot and make sure he's okay. Once you do that, try to get a message over to Grayza about our condition."

"What about flashlights?" Chiana asked.

"That's not a good idea." Aeryn said. "It'll give away your position."

"It's not pitch black in here." John observed. "We should be okay. Besides we don't have time to go get flashlights or night vision."

"All right well, what are you gonna do?" Chiana asked him.

"I'm going down to the hanger to see who our visitors are."

Aeryn didn't like the sound of that. "John -"

"Aeryn, I'm not gonna do anything, I'm just going down to look."

Chiana spoke, sounding guilty and ashamed. "It could be Nebari from the Establishment. They could be here for me."

"Pip, if it were a Nebari ship, Pilot would've recognized it."

"Maybe not." said Aeryn. "We've been in the Uncharted Territories for over four cycles, John. They could have built new ships."

He looked at her skeptically. "A ship that can't be dented by a Peacekeeper command carrier?" Then he shook his head. "Look, it doesn't matter. We don't have time for this." He pulled out Winona and looked over at Chiana. "You ready, Pip?"

She nodded excitedly. "Let's get these frellniks off our ship!"

Chiana headed out with a bounce in her stride, but Aeryn stopped John by the arm. At first she only stared at him, then she leaned in to kiss him hard and deep. When she pulled back, she said, "Be careful."

"I will." John affirmed with a nod. "Take care of the little guy." Then he flashed her his lopsided grin. "I'll be back soon."

And with Winona in hand, he swiftly left their quarters, disappearing into the dark.

**This couldn't be good **for his eyes. He kept straining them to see where he was going. He wished now that he had listened to Chiana and gotten a flashlight, or at least night vision goggles. _Could'a, would'a, should'a,_ John thought. His eyes were starting to hurt and it was giving him a headache.

He finally came to the hanger, at least he hoped, and slowed his pace to a cautious walk. He heard voices, distant and murmuring, inaudible. He squeezed the handle of Winona and peered inside the hanger.

It was too dark to see anymore than ten feet in and he cursed in his head. He needed to get in closer. There were enough crates around that he could hide behind while making his way closer. And if he couldn't see them, then they couldn't see him. Probably. He hoped.

Taking a deep breath and holding it in, he swiftly tip-toed over to a stack of crates. Once he was there, he squatted down and slowly let out his breath. He peered around the crates into the darkness and cursed silently again. Not close enough.

This time he got down on his hands and knees and carefully crawled in closer. Crouching behind a tall stack of crates, he looked around them, hoping he'd be able to see something. He spotted four people - no wait, five...make that seven - was that another two over there? Well, there were at least nine that he could see. With his luck, there were probably more. Nine was a lot already though. This was bad.

He still had no idea what they were though. And that was what he came here to find out. He couldn't make out their appearances from his position. He needed to be closer.

Again, he got on his hands and knees and quickly scrambled over to a smaller pile of crates that looked close enough. He hoped anyway, cause he wasn't going any closer than that.

Once he got to the pile of crates, he got down on his stomach and peeked around the crates. Ah hell, Chiana was right. Nebari. He had to get out of here and get back to -

Someone grabbed him by the back of his vest and yanked him to his feet. Something cold and sharp jabbed into the side of his neck, but it didn't pierce the skin.

"Well, well, if it isn't the notorious John Crichton." came a female voice close behind him. "I've been wanting to meet you."

"Sorry, I don't give out autographs." John mumbled. "You here for Chiana?"

"Chiana?" The female laughed shrilly, which sent shivers racing down his spine. "Oh no, my dear John Crichton. I'm here for you."

There was a hard, heavy pain at the base of his skull and he was unconscious before he hit the floor.

Well, there it is. The first chapter. What did you guys think? Is it any interesting yet? Don't worry, I have BIG plans for this story!

**Chapter Two Preview:**

"You know, you really don't have to do all this." John mumbled as he studied the thick and tight bands around his wrists. "I'm not going anywhere."

"It is only precautionary. You are notorious for more than your wormhole weapon, my dear John Crichton."

"For my good looks and charm?"

She tilted her head to the side, studying him "You are most interesting."

Shivers ran down his back as she slowly walked around to stand behind him. He felt her hands on either side of his face to keep him facing forward and she leaned down to speak close to his ear.

"You see that beautiful planet?"

Her sharp breath on his skin made him shudder. He looked out the front portal to see a large, gray and cloudy planet. His stomach dropped at the sight of it; it was dark and ugly and did not look pleasant.

"That is your new home, my dear John. Welcome to Nebari Prime."

HRS


	2. Chapter II

**Author's Note:** Wel...I was gonna wait until Friday to post this...but I changed my mind! You'll have to let me know what you think. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this chapter and please leave me some feedback when you finish reading!

**CHAPTER II**

_"Why do I always attract the freaks?"_

**John Crichton: _Mental As Anything_**

**She let out a** shriek and in her surprise, she pulled the trigger on her pulse pistol, barely missing the DRD she tripped over. It made a small whizzing sound as it looked up at her with its small lighted eyes.

Chiana glared down at it. "Don't frelling do that!" she hissed at it. And with an irritated sigh, she stepped over it and continued on her way.

She stopped right outside Pilot's den and glanced down the passageways nervously. Hopefully they hadn't heard that pulse blast, whoever they were. She walked into the den and was relieved to see that Pilot was awake and unharmed. She hurriedly pushed the door shut and rushed over to him.

"Pilot are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Chiana." Pilot replied. "Are the others hurt?"

"They're fine, Pilot. Listen, can you do anything? I mean, do you still control everything?"

Pilot looked down at his console with small frustration. "The only thing that I am no longer in control of is the lighting. I can't even get the emergency lights on."

"It must be them." Chiana said quietly. "Have they boarded Moya yet?"

"Yes, but..." Pilot went silent and looked baffled.

"But what?"

"They're..." He looked back up at her. "Leaving."

"Leaving? What d'you mean by that?"

"Their ship," Pilot looked back at his console. "They're flying out of the hangar. They're...heading toward the larger vessel."

They were both startled when the lights suddenly came back on. Chiana looked around nervously with panic rising in her chest. She turned to face Pilot again.

"Why would they leave?"

Pilot only responded with an expression that said he didn't know.

"Crichton went down to the hanger to see who they are." Chiana explained to Pilot. "Maybe...maybe he got them to leave."

Pilot raised his eyebrows with high skepticism. Chiana realized that she didn't believe that either. A bad feeling made her throat tighten.

"Crichton?" she called through her comms, hoping... "_Crichton!_" Nothing. "_Frell_."

"Chiana!" Pilot said suddenly in alarm. "The larger vessel just disappeared!"

"_What?_ How could it disappear? What d'you mean?"

"It's just...gone. It's on none of Moya's scanners."

"Frell!" Chiana hissed again. "Pilot, you need to send a message over to Grayza on the command carrier. Tell her what happened. And tell her...tell her they took Crichton."

**Aeryn nearly collided with** Chiana as she rounded a bend in the passageway, D'Argo cradled in her arms.

"Frell, Aeryn!" Chiana snapped. "Watch where you're going!"

"Chiana what's going on?" Aeryn demanded. "How did the lights come back on?"

"I dunno, they came back on right after whoever came left."

"They left?" Aeryn asked with surprise. "Why?"

"I don't know." Chiana answered with slight annoyance.

"Well have you heard from John? He hasn't answered my comms."

Chiana made no reply and did not look at her.

"Chiana," Aeryn said in a low, impatient growl.

Chiana slowly raised her gaze up to Aeryn's face. Her expression was one of worry and fear. "I uh...I think...I think they took him."

Aeryn was staring at her like she didn't have a translator microbe. "What?"

Chiana shifted her feet nervously. "I said I...I think they took Crichton."

"What do you mean you _think_?" Aeryn snapped venomously.

"Well they just _left_, Aeryn! And Crichton wasn't answering me either! I mean he went down there to check things out, they probably - Aeryn!"

Aeryn had spun around and began storming down the passageway to get to the hanger. Her heart beat faster with every step she took and cold fear was swirling in her stomach. They couldn't have taken John. That wouldn't be fair. They didn't take him, they _didn't_.

And who the frell where _they_ anyway?

She was running by the time she made it to the hanger. Her son was making small whines of protest and disappointment, but she was deaf to them. She was looking for John, panic rising in her throat.

"John?" she called as she frantically looked around. "_John?_"

She stopped dead when she saw a single pulse pistol lying on the floor next to a stack of crates. Feeling numb, she walked over to it and slowly sank to her knees. She hesitantly reached out to touch it, feeling the cold metal, studying it. There was no mistaking it, it was Winona. Aeryn's vision blurred with strong tears as she stared at it. She looked up at the open hanger doors and didn't bother to keep her tears from slowly crawling down her face. She turned her gaze back to Winona and picked up the pulse pistol, gripping it hard with anger. And when she looked out the hanger doors again, it was with a set jaw and a sharp, piercing glare.

**The first thing he** felt was the cold. He was barely even conscious when he felt it sinking into his bones. And his throat felt tight and scratchy. Slowly opening his eyes, the first thing he saw was a gray ceiling. Or maybe that was the wall...He couldn't tell if he was on his back or his side, his limbs were too numb. Well he guessed it didn't really matter, the ceiling probably looked the same as the wall.

He lazily lifted a hand to scratch at his tight and itchy throat. His fingers touched metal instead of skin. His eyes snapped open completely as he ran his fingers over the metal until he finally realized what it was: a Nebari control collar. Damn he hated those things.

A sharp, lumpy pain the back of his neck prevented him from lifting his head or sitting up. He let out a heavy sigh and shut his eyes again.

"Aeryn's gonna kill me." he muttered to the air, his voice a bit raspy from misuse. "First I promise her we're done, then I agree to help Grayza, and now I got myself kidnaped." He sighed again and opened his eyes to stare at what he now knew was the ceiling. He figured they'd mind cleanse him next. And this time he didn't have Harvey to help him snap out of it. For the first time in two months he regretted no longer having the neural clone in his head.

There was a loud, metallic sound of some sort of door opening somewhere to his left. He turned his head to look, increasing the lumpy pain in his neck.

A tall Nebari female walked into the room and smiled down at him. "Hello, Johnny dear."

She had a narrow face and a thin mouth. Her hair was much like Chiana's but wilder. She was older than Chiana by a few cycles too, and actually rather good looking. For a Nebari.

"I'm glad you woke on your own." she said as she slowly began to circle him. "I didn't want to have to wake you."

John smiled slightly and spoke with a drawl. "Aw why thank you ma'am." He recognized her voice, she was the Nebari who had knocked him out on Moya.

Her smile widened and she tilted her head to the side. "You, my dear John Crichton, may call me Vayarlla."

"Nice name." he complimented.

"I must admit, you are not what I expected."

"Yeah I get that a lot. Sorry to disappoint you."

"Oh not at all my dear John. I rather like you."

"Well you're one of few."

Vayarlla knelt down next to him, and the way she was studying him gave him the willies. "I had no idea that you were so good looking." she said as she touched his face.

John jerked his head away from her hand. "Don't touch me."

Her eyes sparkled mischievously as they traveled down his body and he shuddered. But she did not touch him again and rose to her feet.

"Do you know why you're here?"

"Because you love me?" She smiled at him in a way that made him regret saying that. "No, I don't know why I'm here. But I'm assuming it has something to do with the Nebari civil war."

"It did not take long for the Establishment to discover that the Resistance and their allies were looking for you." Vayarlla announced proudly. "And we knew why they wanted you."

"Wormhole weapon." he muttered.

"Yes." She stopped at his head and knelt down to look at him closer. "I know your history with the Peacekeepers. Why would you want to help them?"

"I don't. But they're not acting like the Borg and trying to convert the universe."

"But my dear John, the Peacekeepers promote and create violence." Vayarlla pointed out. "We are trying to end all violence and create peace."

"By starting a war?" John spat at her. "You're _killing_ thousands of people!"

"All is forgiven if done for the greater good."

"Yeah, forgiven by who?"

Vayarlla cocked her head and reached down to softly stroke his jaw, which he tried to lean away from. "You will soon understand, my dear John. We will open your eyes and you will know the truth."

"I won't help you."

"Oh but you will."

"No, I won't." John repeated harshly. "Even if you mind screw me. I can't do the wormhole weapon thing anymore!"

Vayarlla only smiled at him and lightly touched his hair. Then, rising to her feet, she brought her fingers up to two silver metal circles above her right eyebrow. A loud, high pitched beeping rang out from his control collar. Sharp and jolting pain surged through John's body, making him convulse as he let out gurgling grunts. Finally Vayarlla released the controls on her brow and watched him with a smug smile. "Get some rest, my dear John Crichton. We will be arriving at Nebari Prime within the arn."

**"It was a nebari **vessel." Grayza reported to Aeryn and Chiana. She stood tall and prideful in front of them. "We've known about these ships for some time, but we know very little about them."

"How come you couldn't damage it?" Chiana asked. "And how could they just disappear like that?"

"These new Nebari ships have a shielding that is superior to our weapons. We have not yet been able to figure out a way to damage them." Grayza explained. "And as for disappearing, they can jump across great distances. Somewhat like your leviathan's starburst."

"Frell." Chiana whispered.

"Why would they take John?" Aeryn asked flatly. "What do they want with him?"

Grayza moved her eyes from Chiana to Aeryn. "They want him for the same reason we do."

"Wormholes." Aeryn bristled with anger as the word left her mouth.

"Yes. John Crichton and his wormhole weapon quickly became notorious after the war with the Scarrans. But those who did not witness the event, do not know the true story."

"In other words they don't know what the wormhole weapon really does." Aeryn stated.

"Correct." Grayza said with a nod.

Chiana was breathing hard with panic. "Well if we don't save him they'll mind cleanse him a-and they'll make him use it!"

Grayza looked at Chiana. "Which is why we will organize a strategy to retrieve him as soon as we reach Nebari Prime."

"It's going to take us at least a solar day to get there." Aeryn said firmly.

"The Nebari have undoubtedly already reached Nebari Prime." Grayza said as she looked back at Aeryn. "We have little choice."

Aeryn pursed her lips into a thin line with uprising anger. "We need a plan as soon as we reach Nebari Prime. We can't waste time."

"Officer Sun, we will need to know what Establishment vessels have arrived and departed, where they took Crichton and the best way to retrieve him. We cannot do that from here!"

Chiana turned to Aeryn. "Aeryn, I can get Neri to help us. He has a lot of power in the Resistance."

"I'm sorry that this has happened, Officer Sun." Grayza stated cooly, not sounding sorry at all. "But we have no choice but to wait. Right now, we can do nothing but send a message to the Resistance headquarters and inform them of the situation and ask them to watch for the Nebari vessel that has Crichton."

Aeryn kept her cold glare trained on Grayza. Part of her wanted to kill the tralk right now, while the other part wanted to smash her head against the wall and demand that they go after John _now_. She inhaled sharply and swallowed, trying to calm herself. Now was not the time to let her anger for what Grazya did to John get in the way. She had to keep calm and think rationally. For John's sake.

"Fine." she said sharply, her tone bitter.

"I will not allow the Nebari to wield the wormhole weapon." Grayza offered Aeryn a smile.

Aeryn stared hard at Grayza for moment before turning to leave. Once they were out in the corridor, Chiana caught up to Aeryn and walked quickly beside her.

"Grayza still thinks Crichton knows how to use the wormhole weapon." Chiana whispered.

"And that belief is all that moves her to attempt saving him. We're going to need whatever help she gives us, Chiana. So we have to make sure that she continues to think John can still do what she wants."

**John sat slumped in** the corner of his cell, staring at the small tray of food they had left at the door. He wasn't hungry, and he didn't want to eat it anyways for two reasons: 1) it looked really unappealing and 2) it probably wasn't safe. It wouldn't surprise him at all if they had put some kind of drug in it.

He shifted his gaze back to the gray wall, which had been his center of attention of the last...How long had it been anyway? It felt like it had been ten arns, but that couldn't be right because Vayarlla said they'd be at Nebari Prime within an arn. He clamped his teeth down hard on his tongue as he realized it hadn't even been an arn yet.

The control collar still agitated his skin, but he had stopped scratching a long time ago. Itching at his irritated skin only made it worse, and it had made his arm tired.

He missed Moya. He missed Chiana, Pilot, even Noranti and most definitely Little D. And he missed Aeryn. He missed her more than anyone else. He could go into details but if he did it'd only increase his longing for her. So he wasn't going to go there. He wasn't going to think about how soft her hair was or the way it smelled, or the way her skin felt and tasted, and he wasn't going to think about the way - Damn it! He was doing it!

The cell door suddenly opened, startling him, and he sat still and watched Vayarlla walk in. She was smiling, which was no big surprise. 

John looked up at her. "Are we there yet?"

"Are you eager to see the wondrous Nebari Prime?" She had a hint of amusement in her tone of voice.

"Nah, I just wanna get outta this cell." he said as he looked away from her and up at the ceiling.

Vayarlla knelt down in front of him and gently touched his face. He tried to lean away, but sitting in the corner limited his space to move. He shut his eyes and gritted his teeth as her rough fingertips stroked his temple. "You will like your new home, my dear John."

He opened his eyes to glare at her. "Is it better than Disneyland?"

She stood up and pressed her fingers to the two circles above her eyebrow. John instantly stiffened and fell over onto the floor, convulsing and grunting with pain. When she finally released him, two Nebari rushed in and grabbed him and roughly pulled him up to his feet. He still felt too much pain lingering in his body to speak, and he remained silent as they dragged him out of the cell.

John tried to take in as much of his surroundings as he could as the two Nebari swiftly pulled him along through the corridors. All the walls were gray and there were Nebari all over the place, but that was the extent of what he saw. He quickly got his legs and feet to work because he wanted to walk up into the smaller craft that was now in front of them, rather than be dragged into it.

Once they were inside the small craft with a dozen other Nebari waiting inside, they slammed him down into a hard chair and slapped cold, steel restraints over his wrists and ankles. Vayarlla stood in front of John with a smug smile on her lips as another Nebari powered up the engines.

"You know, you really don't have to do all this." John mumbled as he studied the thick and tight bands around his wrists. "I'm not going anywhere."

"It is only precautionary. You are notorious for more than your wormhole weapon, my dear John Crichton."

"For my good looks and charm?"

She tilted her head to the side, studying him "You are most interesting."

Shivers ran down his back as she slowly walked around to stand behind him. He felt her hands on either side of his face to keep him facing forward and she leaned down to speak close to his ear.

"You see that beautiful planet?"

Her sharp breath on his skin made him shudder. He looked out the front portal to see a large, gray and cloudy planet. His stomach dropped at the sight of it; it was dark and ugly and did not look pleasant.

"That is your new home, my dear John. Welcome to Nebari Prime."

**Ever since they had **returned to Moya from the command carrier, Aeryn had been locked up in her and John's quarters. She spoke to no one and kept only D'Argo for company. Little D, Junior, Tadpole; she smiled faintly as all the names John had for their child went through her mind.

The sheets on their bed still smelled like him, and they were still rumpled from their earlier attempt to make up. His favorite long black leather jacket was still on one of the stools in a crumpled heap from when he had tossed it there after their return from the command carrier. Staring at it struck something inside her and she had a sudden longing to touch it. Laying D'Argo down on the bed, she walked over to it.

At first she only stared down at it. And when she finally reached for it, it was with a hesitant hand. She was hoping to feel him when she touched it, to feel his warmth and love. But when her fingers reached the rough leather, it was cold. Disappointment clenched in her belly, but she picked it up from the stool and buried her nose in it. It still smelled like him and the scent made a strong longing for him spread throughout her body.

She didn't like to think about what he was going through right now, what those Nebari frellniks were doing to him. Why was the universe so set on messing with him? Why did he have to be the target for every large threat? One word echoed in her mind: wormholes. Four cycles of frelling dren all for wormholes. Even when his brain had been emptied of all wormhole knowledge, everyone was still after him. He didn't deserve this.

With a light sigh, she placed his coat back on the stool. John was alive. She knew where he was. She knew what they wanted with him. And they wouldn't kill him, she knew they wouldn't. They needed him, and no matter how many times he'd tell them, they would never believe that he no longer possessed wormhole knowledge of any kind. Even if they mind cleansed him and he still told them, they wouldn't believe him. She knew they wouldn't.

The thought of John being mind cleansed made her shudder and she pushed the thought away. She would have him back soon. Just a few more arns...

"Officer Sun?" It was Pilot's voice coming from her comms. She took no note of how concerned he sounded.

"Yes Pilot?"

"You asked me to inform you as soon as we reached Nebari Prime."

Aeryn's spine snapped upright and her heart began to beat just a bit faster. "Have we arrived?"

"Yes."

"Thank you for letting me know, Pilot."

She turned around and went back over to the bed. After carefully lifting little D'Argo into her arms, she walked out of her quarters for the first time in arns.

Aeryn came into command, where Chiana was standing in the middle of the room, looking out the forward portal. A vast and dark planet filled the screen. She felt frozen as she stared at it. John was down there somewhere...Her stomach twisted into a tight knot.

"That's...that's it." Chiana was saying quietly. "That's my home planet...Nebari Prime."

Pilot's image appeared on the clamshell. "Officer Sun,"

She didn't take her eyes off the planet before them as she replied. "Yes Pilot?"

"Commandant Grayza has sent a transmission requesting that you meet her down on the planet. She has sent the coordinates of where she'd like you to meet her."

Aeryn straightened her back and her gaze turned into a glower. "Good. I'll be heading down immediately."

**Chiana had once told** her that Nebari Prime was an amazing place, beautiful and magnificent. Such words seemed to be describing a legend compared to what lay stretched out before her. The sky was dark and cloudy, the buildings looked worn and battered, and a foul stench filled the air. The planet had seen many battles.

She glanced over at Chiana, who was staring at her home planet stricken. Aeryn felt sorrowful for the young Nebari, but could find no words to say.

The sound of a Peacekeeper marauder overhead caught her attention and she craned her head back to watch it fly in and land next to the transport pod. She unconsciously had her hand placed over her pulse pistol as she watched a squad of Peacekeepers and Commandant Grayza walk out of the marauder.

There were footsteps back behind her and she turned around to face the source. A mixed squad of Peacekeeper and Nebari soldiers marching up to meet them. Among them Aeryn spotted the all too familiar face of Captain Bracca, and with a small flicker of panic, she wondered if Scorpius were here as well. And there was a Nebari male at Bracca's side that looked familiar to her, but she couldn't place him.

"Officer Sun,"

The hair on the back of her neck rose at the sound of Grayza's voice. Aeryn looked over at the Commandant who was now standing beside her. She had on her usual small, pleased smile.

"I'm glad to see that you made it here safely."

"Is there a reason we wouldn't?"

Grayza looked up at the sky. "The Establishment has patrols orbiting this planet." She returned her purple-eyed gaze to Aeryn's face. "They like to shoot down smaller vessels."

"Thank you for letting me know ahead of time." Her tone was sharp and thick with sarcasm.

Captain Bracca interrupted them, standing with a straight back and his hands behind his back. "Commandant Grayza, good to see you arrived safely."

"Thank you, Captain. Did my message regarding Crichton get through?"

Bracca nodded curtly. "Yes ma'am. We spotted the vessel that carries Crichton less than an arn ago."

"Where is he?" Aeryn asked immediately.

"Not now, Officer Sun." Grayza said with irritation. "We must wait until we are safely in Resistance headquarters."

"We've already began devising a strategy to retrieve Command Crichton." Bracca said to Aeryn.

Her heart stopped and her breath caught in her chest. "You know where they're holding him?"

"We will discuss this in further detail later." Grayza reminded them both darkly. "Now let's get off the surface before the Establishment spots us and has us eliminated." She pushed past both of them and began shouting orders.

Aeryn leaned in close to Chiana to whisper to her. "Their base is underground?"

Chiana nodded. "Yeah. Pretty drad, huh?"

"And the Establishment doesn't know?"

"Oh, they've known for a while. But Nebari Prime is...well, it's really big Aeryn. I mean the Resistance has bases scattered all over the place and they're really far down. It's really hard to find them."

"I know the Resistance has spies in the Establishment. Surely some of them have been caught and interrogated?"

Chiana shrugged. "Dunno."

Aeryn sighed impatiently. She wanted to find John and she wanted to find him _now_. But instead, she and Chiana followed Grayza and the squad of soldiers as they began their long descent to the secret base.

**He liked Disneyland better.** At least it had some color and the air was fresh. And it was always filled with friendly people. In contrast, Nebari Prime was hugely different. It was dark and gloomy (and quite frankly, it was rather ugly) and the air was thick with a bad smell. This planet was highly over rated. At least on the Establishment's point of view. "Wondrous" and "beautiful" his ass.

"What do you think, my dear John Crichton?" asked Vayarlla, who stood right beside him. "Do you like your new home?"

"Disneyland is better." he stated as his eyes scanned the horizon.

When she turned to look at him, he was surprised to see that she was not glaring at him. A chillingly playful glint was in her eyes that made his insides churn.

"You will soon see it in a new light." she said, lifting her chin up. She then turned to the Nebari soldiers that surrounded the Human. "Bring him."

They roughly pulled John forward by his arms, while others jabbed at his back with their weapons. They dragged him down the ramp of the vessel and into a dark alleyway. After they rounded a few corners they came to a rather small building. Vayarlla stepped in first and John was pushed in after her.

The building was a single room with concrete walls and floor.

John was shoved down to the ground and instantly the high pitched beeping from the control collar rang loud in his ears. His body convulsed with pain and his throat tightened as he gasped. Finally it stopped and he lay limp, huddled in a ball on the ground. He felt dizzy and his body was sore.

More pain shot through his limbs as they yanked him up off the floor again and slammed him against something hard, sending pain up his spine. He struggled to keep his head up and barely got his eyes open and watched them put his wrists and ankles in tight restraints. It suddenly dawned on him what they were doing; he recognized the contraption they were locking him in. They were about to pull his eyes out.

"You know," he rolled his head around in attempt to find Vayarlla. "You don't have to do this. I'm not gonna go anywhere."

Vayarlla stepped in front of him, leaning in close to his face. "I'm afraid that I must do it, Johnny dear. Orders, you know."

"You don't have to follow orders." He said it with a drawl, as his fear was rising at seeing the prongs that would yank his eyes from his sockets.

She reached up to run her hand through his hair once. "You will soon understand."

"So why are we here? How come you're not taking me to the big Borg Hive?"

"Precautions, my dear John." Her smile widened. "You will see the heart of the Establishment very soon."

Fear was now raging in his stomach and he had begun to breathe more quickly as he watched a Nebari prepare the device. "This won't help you. I already told you, I can't - "

In one swift motion, Vayarlla pushed down on the controls to John's control collar, making his body strain with pain. She held it a few microts longer than usual, watching him convulse with sharp eyes. When she finally released it, a heavy sigh escaped from his lips and his head fell forward. Slowly, he lifted it again, his eyes half lidded and his mouth parted.

"Try not to talk, Johnny dear. It will only make the process more painful."

"Don't..." His voice was a low and tired murmur. "Don't do this..."

The prongs in front of his eyes suddenly came to life, spinning and opening up. John was still as he stared at them, his half open eyes glistening with fear. He worked his jaw before gritting his teeth.

Vayarlla walked around to his side and leaned in close to his ear. "Don't fight it, my dear John. Let it open your eyes. Fighting it will do nothing but delay the inevitable."

"Yeah, I know. Resistance is futile." John said just as the prongs moved forward, closing in on his eyes.

Dun dun dun dun! LOL Just give me feedback please! And now, for the sneak peek at Chapter Three...

**Chapter Three Preview:**

Aeryn studied the hybrid with a sharp glare. "So what do you want?"

"I want to end this war, as quickly as possible. The Peacekeepers lost hundreds, if not thousands, in the war with the Scarrans. And the longer this war drags on, the more lives will be lost everywhere, and the contagion will spread even further."

She shook her head. "Torturing John won't end it. And don't threaten me with telling Grayza that he can no longer make the wormhole weapon. That won't end the war, it will only delay it. And if you do tell her, that's fine with us. We'll just leave."

"Grayza will not let Crichton go if she finds out he is useless to her."

"Why?" Aeryn asked with a pang of panic. "What's the point of keeping him if she has no use for him?" Unpleasant images flashed through her mind that made her shudder.

"Because it will not only anger Grayza that she wasted her time to locate and chase after him to bring him here, but also because he is John Crichton. And there is high value in that."

Aeryn felt sick and disgusted. The hybrid was talking about John as if he were nothing but an object to own and trade. "If Crichton does help to end this war, if the bluff works...will she let us go?"

Scorpius looked thoughtful and somewhat amused. "I cannot say. Grayza can be somewhat...unpredictable."

HRS


	3. Chapter III

**Title:** The Nebari Factor  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Beta:** Edited by my wonderful brother who is now an offical Scaper!  
**Spoilers:** Up to PKW  
**Time Frame:** Two months after PKW  
**Disclaimers:** None of it's mine! But you guys know that!

**Author's Note:** Sorry this chapter took me a while! And I'm very sorry to say that I don't have a Chapter Four preview for you...so sorry! I'll try to get Chapter Four up as soon as possible! I have it all planned out so it shouldn't take TOO long! Anyways, I hope you all enjoy it and please leave feedback!

**CHAPTER III**

_"A feeling of joy and contentment so powerful you'll wonder how you ever lived without it!"_

**Dominar Rygel XVI: _A Clockwork Nebari_**

* * *

**Aeryn was now standing** ten metras underground, surrounded by hundreds of Nebari and Peacekeepers. She gazed at her surroundings in awe; it was big, really big. And this was only one room. She watched the people around her with interest. Everyone was walking in different directions, trying to get to their destinations as quickly as possible. Some of them were looking up at her and the squad she was standing with, and she realized with a sinking heart that the Nebari wanted to see the notorious John Crichton.

Thinking about John set her in full military mode again, and she turned to Grayza. "I want to talk to whoever's in charge. I want to know where Crichton is."

"A meeting has already been scheduled." Bracca said.

"That's not good enough." Aeryn snapped at him. She turned her hard stare back to Grayza. "You want my help, you want John's help, so I suggest you start trying harder and start giving me some answers."

Grayza looked extremely irritated, but she kept her voice calm. "Believe me, Officer Sun, we are as eager to get John Crichton back as you are."

Aeryn narrowed her eyes to a glower. "I doubt that. If that were true at all, we wouldn't be standing here, wasting time. We should be reviewing the plan to -"

Suddenly a loud and excited voice calling Chiana's name erupted from somewhere in the room. Aeryn turned just in time to see a young Nebari male running up to meet them, barely suppressing a smile. She glanced at Chiana, who was standing completely still with her eyes locked on the male and her mouth parted.

The male came to a halt a couple paces in front of Chiana, studying her with a look of disbelief and joy on his face.

"N-Neri..." Chiana whispered, and the corners of her mouth quirked up slightly. She stepped towards him and reached up hesitantly to touch his face. "Neri," she said again, her voice now clearer and steadier. A wide smile stretched across her lips and she threw her arms around him in a tight embrace, and he returned the gesture.

Aeryn couldn't help but smile at seeing their reunion. She knew that it had been cycles since they last saw each other, and she knew how much Chiana missed her brother. And Chiana really needed cheering up and something to help her heal after what happened in the war.

When the two pulled apart, Neri smiled at Chiana. "I told you we'd see each other again." he said in a soft voice.

Grayza stepped past Aeryn, toward Neri, interrupting the happy reunion. "Neri, it is imperative that we begin the briefing immediately."

Neri turned to Grayza, his smile fading. "Yes of course, Commandant. I ordered a full strategic work up while awaiting your arrival."

"And who put together this strategy?" Grayza asked with an icy stare.

"Our best strategists, as well as yours." Neri replied. "Scorpius and I have already done the preliminary review."

"Scorpius?" Aeryn repeated, fear swirling in her stomach. "Scorpius is here?"

"Now is not the time to let old rivalries get in the way, Officer Sun." Grayza said cooly.

"Why is Scorpius here?" Aeryn was now glaring at the Commandant, and her voice carried a chilling, commanding tone.

"He is part of the war effort, and he'll help us get Crichton back."

"Oh no he won't." Aeryn said with a sharp shake of her head. "He's not going anywhere near Crichton."

"We do not have time for this." Grayza growled. She turned to Neri. "We must begin the briefing immediately."

Neri looked confused and completely lost as to what exactly was going on, but he said nothing about it and nodded curtly. "Of course. This way."

Chiana kept up close beside him with a bounce in her stride, while the others followed. They made their way through many busy corridors until they finally came to a room with a large, circular table in the center. Scorpius and the Nebari that Aeryn had seen earlier were waiting for them, sitting at the table.

Aeryn had her hand on her pulse pistol and didn't take her eyes off the hybrid. He was smiling his usual disgusting, small smile of amusement. He probably was the one who recommended dragging John into this. Her fingers itched to pull out her pulse pistol and shoot him right between the eyes. Even if he wasn't the one who came up with the idea of the wormhole weapon bluff, he still deserved it.

Neri sat down in a chair next to the other Nebari. "This is Milac, my second in command. I believe he has met you before." he said it to both Chiana and Aeryn.

Aeryn recognized him now. He was the other Nebari that had nearly mind cleansed everyone on Moya over two cycles ago. She remembered that he was a spy for the Resistance, and in the end helped John and Chiana take back control of Moya. His face was heavily scarred from the injury she remembered him having.

He remained silent as he stared at Aeryn and Chiana.

"Yes, I remember." Aeryn said in acknowledgment, nodding slightly.

Chiana nodded as well, but said nothing.

Aeryn returned her gaze to Scorpius, and her eyes instantly went dark with hatred. His smile remained on his face as he studied her, making her want to shoot him even more. "I take it you're the one who came up with the idea to bring John into this war." she said.

"Actually, no." Scorpius said with a slight tilt of his head. A quick glance at Grayza from the corner of his eye did not go unnoticed by Aeryn. "I'm afraid that I cannot take credit for that. But I do support it."

"No doubt." Aeryn growled.

"We are wasting time." Grayza barked suddenly, drawing everyone's attention. She stood behind a chair and glanced around at them. "We must retrieve Crichton before he is taken into the Establishment headquarters. Otherwise, all hope is lost and we will lose this war."

Aeryn's back went straight at that comment. She glared at Grayza and had the distinct feeling that the Peacekeeper had not told her and John everything about this war. She glanced at Chiana, who returned her expression of anger and worry.

**He didn't know what** he had been so worried about. It wasn't bad at all; in fact, it was quite beautiful. It was soothing, relaxing, relieving. He felt calm and at peace, and the universe seemed a better place. Aside from the fact that everyone was creating violence and uglifying the galaxy with their greed and selfishness. He had been that way, once. He had thought himself to be a good person, yet he carried a weapon that he had even gone so far as to name, killed thousands in his wake and even voluntarily used the wormhole weapon, killing even more. But now he felt cleansed, his sins all washed away.

"How do you feel, my dear John?" came Vayarlla's voice.

John opened his eyes and smiled at her. "I have never felt better."

She smiled pridefully at him. "Do you understand now?"

"Yes. My eyes have been opened to the truth. I thank you sincerely, Vayarlla, for doing this to me."

Vayarlla lifted her hand to stroke his hair. "You are most welcome, my dear John Crichton." She signaled to a Nebari beside her to release John from the mind cleansing machine.

John stepped out of the contraption and didn't even rub at his burning wrists. "I don't know how I ever lived without it, this feeling of contentment and joy."

"All of us know that feeling." Vayarlla said, now touching his cheek. "It is nearly impossible to understand how we lived like that, savage and brutal."

"Will you let me help you to spread peace over the universe?" he asked, still smiling.

"Of course, my dear John. We deny that to no one." She put her arm around his shoulders and lead him to the entrance of the building. "Now, my dear John, when you look at Nebari Prime, our home, what do you see?"

His brilliant blue eyes sparkled as he gazed out at the sight before him. "Beauty." he said with a hint of awe in his voice. "I see beauty."

**She glared at chiana,** fuming with anger. "Absolutely not! I will not stay here!"

"Aeryn, you can't come!" Chiana said with a sharp and frustrated cock of her head. "You should stay here!"

"_Why_?" Aeryn spat.

"B-because, Aeryn, y-you've left your little guy all alone up on Moya," Chiana began in nervous sputters. "Rescuing Crichton is gonna be dangerous and it's gonna take a while. You can't leave little Crichton all by himself!"

"You do not tell me what to do!" Aeryn roared. "John is my husband, Chiana, and I am not going to wait around for arns while you run off to save him!

"And I don't trust a single person on that team but you, and one person is not enough!"

"Aeryn," Chiana stepped up close to her, locking eyes. "What would he want you to do?" she asked, her voice now soft and quiet. "What would Crichton want you to do?"

Aeryn stared at the Nebari in silence for a moment. Then she swallowed before answering, her voice faintly trembling. "He would want me to stay with D'Argo."

"Right." Chiana agreed with a little nod. "So go back up to Moya and spend time with the little guy. It'll keep you busy and distracted. Time'll go quicker that way. I"ll comm you the microt I come back with Crichton, I promise."

Aeryn looked reluctant and worried, but she nodded.

"Hey, I love him too, Aeryn." Chiana reminded her. "I'm not gonna let those frellniks take him from us. I'm bringing him back."

Aeryn met Chiana's gaze, and she knew that what Chiana had said was true. "Be careful, Chiana."

The young Nebari flashed her a wide, playful grin. "I've got ten Nebari and ten Peacekeepers going in with me. I'll be fine. And so will Crichton, I promise."

Her smile shied down and with a departing nod to Aeryn, she turned around and exited the room.

**Neri was waiting for **her out in the corridor, and when she finally came out of the room, he stood up straight. "How did it go?"

"She's gonna stay." Chiana said as they began to walk together.

An awkward silence fell between them. They hadn't had the chance to really talk yet. They knew nothing of the other's life during the last few cycles.

Neri glanced at her. "May I ask you something, sister?"

She looked at him and smiled shyly. "Course."

"Why is this John Crichton so important to you? How do you know him?"

Chiana did not respond immediately, and her eyes glazed over as the memory of first meeting Crichton flashed across her mind. She licked her lips before speaking. "A few cycles ago, I got caught by the Establishment. Their ship got damaged and we ended up on Moya...Crichton saved me from them. And I've stayed on Moya ever since."

"Just you and Crichton and Officer Sun?"

"No...no, there were others." Chiana smiled faintly, but it was brief and it quickly faded away. "But it's been four cycles and..." she swallowed. "Things happened."

Neri nodded softly and decided not to press her for more right now. "So you've had friends. Ones that care about you. That's good."

Chiana shook her head softly. "They're not friends, Neri. They're family. And I'd do anything for them. Crichton...he's done a lot for me. And there's no frelling way I'm coming back without him."

Neri looked at her a bit unsettled and surprised. She was nothing like she use to be. She was no longer wild and greedy and mischievous. And when he looked at her, he could see that she had been through so much: pain, sorrow, death, joy, love, hate...and so much more. He was eager to hear it all, the places she's been, the people she's met, the things she's seen, and this family that she spoke of.

But what he was most anxious to learn about was this John Crichton and his relationship with his sister.

**She stood in the** middle of the room they had given her, staring at the door where Chiana had left only microts ago. She felt numb, weak and useless. She had to stay behind while Chiana went with a team to rescue John. She bit down hard on her tongue, disliking the idea immensely. She should be out there going to save John, not Chiana. It should frelling be her!

Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath and slowly let it out to calm the anger burning inside her. Waiting around here worrying would accomplish nothing. At least on Moya she would feel more relaxed, being in her home where she could be comforted and calmed by Moya's calm sounds. And she would have the company of Pilot and her child. She smile faintly as she thought of Moya, and suddenly she missed the leviathan deeply.

Straightening her shoulders, she stepped out of the room and into the corridor. Getting to the surface took time, and flying back to Moya would take a while as well. She knew that she would be anxious and worried and John would never leave her mind until Chiana returned, but she hoped that the time would go by quicker up on Moya. And she did miss D'Argo; being with him always had a calming effect. It should help at least a little.

Aeryn spotted Scorpius walking toward her and her dark eyes instantly went sharp. She pressed her hand firmly against her holstered pulse pistol and did not slow her pace.

"Officer Sun," Scorpius greeted as he fell into step beside her. "There is something that we must discuss."

"What would that be?" she asked flatly, keeping her eyes forward.

"The Nebari holding Crichton have no doubt mind cleansed him by now. Or they will have by the time our team reaches him."

Aeryn blocked out the image of John being brain washed. "And?"

"Drug induced mental cleansing takes several arns to wear off, and the Resistance has no means of quickening the process."

"They have no cure?" she asked, now more interested in what he was saying.

"No. Because the temporary mind cleansing is ineffective on Nebari." Scorpius explained. "They have no need to spend time trying to create such a substance."

Her stomach twisted tightly at the thought of waiting for several arns to have John back in his right mind. "So what do you want?"

"From my experience here in the last few weekens, I have discovered that one who has been cleansed can be quickly snapped out of it, by using excessive violence."

Aeryn came to an abrupt halt and turned to face him. "If you're suggesting that we torture John, the answer is no."

"We cannot afford to wait several arns for Crichton to snap out of it himself!" Scorpius growled.

"It was Crichton's choice to help in this war, Scorpius." Aeryn said. "He doesn't have to help. So I suggest that you start following our terms. Otherwise we leave."

She continued walking and he followed.

"I am aware that Crichton no longer possesses any wormhole knowledge."

Aeryn instantly stopped and faced him again. "How?"

"I have not sensed my neural clone since the end of the war with the Scarrans." he announced with a small smile. "So I suggest you follow _my_ terms."

"Or what?"

"I will inform Commandant Grayza that Crichton is useless, and she will abort the mission to retrieve him."

"All she wants is a bluff. Crichton can do that. It doesn't matter if he can actually make the wormhole or not."

"Grayza does not just want a bluff!" Scorpius snarled.

Aeryn's eyebrows furrowed and she felt anger beginning to pulse through her body. "She wants him to use it." It wasn't a question. "Didn't she learn what it _does_?" she snapped.

"She knows how dangerous it is." Scorpius said. "But Crichton stopped it before, which means he can stop it again."

"Except he can't make it."

"And if Grayza knows that, she will not waste her time to retrieve him from the Establishment."

Aeryn studied the hybrid with a sharp glare. "So what do you want?"

"I want to end this war, as quickly as possible. The Peacekeepers lost hundreds of thousands in the war with the Scarrans. And the longer this war drags on, the more lives will be lost everywhere, and the contagion will spread even further throughout the galaxy."

She shook her head. "Torturing John won't end it. And don't threaten me with telling Grayza that he can no longer make the wormhole weapon. That won't end the war, it will only delay it. And if you do tell her, that's fine with us. We'll just leave."

"Grayza will not let Crichton go if she finds out he is useless to her."

"Why?" Aeryn asked with a pang of panic. "What's the point of keeping him if she has no use for him?" Unpleasant images flashed through her mind that made her shudder.

"Because it will not only anger Grayza that she wasted her time to locate and chase after him to bring him here, but also because he is John Crichton. And there is high value in that."

Aeryn felt sick and disgusted. The hybrid was talking about John as if he were nothing but an object to own and trade. "If Crichton does help to end this war, if the bluff works...will she let us go?"

Scorpius looked thoughtful and somewhat amused. "I cannot say. Grayza can be somewhat...unpredictable."

She squeezed her pulse pistol with an icy grip and pressed her lips into a thin line. She should've known that Grayza had a bigger agenda, that she would try to frell them like this. She would have to talk to John about this once he got back.

Scorpius looked pleased with himself, as if he had won the argument.

"No one is going to hurt John," Aeryn said in a clear and firm voice. "I have another idea."

**He walked with a **bounce in his stride and a smile on his face. He couldn't help but be happy; he had never felt this good and he was on the most beautiful planet in the universe. And as he walked with Vayarlla and the other Nebari through the many alleyways, he began to sing. Quietly at first, only in a low mumble.

_"It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood,  
"A beautiful day for neighbor  
"Would you be mine?  
"Could you be mine?"_

He fell silent as he craned his neck back to gaze up at the sky. Nebari Prime was truly magnificent, he didn't know how he could have possibly liked Disneyland better before.

Looking forward again, he sang a little louder.

_"It's a neighborly day in this beautywood,  
"A neighborly day for a beauty,  
"Would you be mine?  
"Could you be me?"_

"My dear John," said Vayarlla who was at his side. "You must be quite joyous to be singing." Her tone carried a hint of amusement.

John smiled and looked at her. "I have never been happier. And Nebari Prime really is amazing."

"Is the beauty of our planet what inspires you to sing?"

"Well of course ma'am," he drawled. "No other place is as beautiful and neighborly as Nebari Prime."

Vayarlla had a mixed expression of amusement and annoyance. But John only smiled at her and continued singing.

_"I have always wanted a neighbor just like you,  
"I've always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you."_

He stopped singing as he and Vayarlla walked up the ramp into the vessel, and this time they did not strap him down in a chair. They paid no attention to him as they powered up the ship. Vayarlla barked a few orders before coming to stand beside John.

"We will arrive at the Establishment headquarters within the arn, my dear," she announced.

"Why are we so far out?" John asked. "Why did we come here?"

"For many reasons," she began. "One is that it was simply precautionary to cleanse you before bringing you to our base. And I was expecting your friends to follow us and try to save you."

He shook his head. "I would not have let them take me."

"Before you were cleansed, my dear John, you would have."

John bowed his head in shame.

Vayarlla smiled slightly. "Don't feel bad, dearest. You knew no better. I would not have blamed you." She turned her head to look at him. "Tell me, dear John, will your friends come for you?"

He gazed out the forward portal as he replied. "Yes."

The vessel suddenly jolted violently, throwing John, Vayarlla and other standing Nebari off their feet. Sparks flew out from consoles, lights flickered and the ship remained steeply slanted forward. John grabbed hold of a chair so that he wouldn't slide anywhere.

"Lieutenant!" Vayarlla shouted at the Nebari piloting the ship. "_What_ is going on?"

John was not paying attention to what they were saying. He had his eyes glued to the forward portal, and he was frozen as he watched the ground of Nebari Prime draw ever closer.

**"What the frell are** you doing?" Chiana shrieked at the Peacekeeper gunman. She looked up and out the front view screen at the plummeting Nebari vessel. "You're gonna kill him!"

"We're only fifty motras off the ground!" the Peacekeeper growled at her.

"Chiana." It was Milac, now standing at her side. Neri had sent him along to watch after Chiana. "There is no cause for concern."

She spun around to glare at him. "He just blew up their engine and now they're about to crash! Crichton could get hurt!"

There was a loud rumble and she whirled around to look out the view screen again. She stared in horror as the Nebari ship smashed through buildings, leaving a massive could of dust and debris in its wake.

"G-get us down there." Chiana said quietly to the pilot. Her breathing quickened with panic and worry, and she screamed, "GET US DOWN THERE NOW!"

**John awoke with a** jolt and instantly he began to cough. His lungs felt tight and the smoke was clogging his throat. He made a sound that was a mix between a grunt and a sigh. It was dark...and quiet. What the hell had happened?

He struggled to sit up and immediately regretted it; a sharp, burning pain stabbed through his leg. Squeezing his eyes shut and gritting his teeth, he took a few deep breaths until the pain receded. He didn't want to look, he was afraid to look at it. Slowly peeling his eyes open, he glanced at his leg. Just the sight of it sent more pain through his thigh. He couldn't make out exactly what it was; it was too dark and the pain was blurring his vision. But something long and thin had stabbed into his thigh.

Letting out a heavy rush of breath, he fell back down on the floor. Pain throbbed in his temples and it was hard to breathe.

He heard the others waking and standing up around him. Some began speaking and murmuring as they took a look at what had happened. He hoped someone would find him because he didn't have the strength to call out.

Just then, he heard Vayarlla's voice. She barked out a couple orders, and then he heard her footsteps approaching him. His eyes fluttered open so that he could look at her.

"You're awake." she said.

"Barely." he grunted. "Wha...what happened?"

"We were attacked by a Peacekeeper marauder. Most likely your friends coming to save you." She said it with heavy bitterness and her eyes were sharp with anger. "We must leave quickly before they arrive."

John saw the way she was eying the object in his leg. "Don't pull it out."

"We have no choice, my dear John."

"No, don't -"

Vayarlla put both hands around the piece of metal and yanked it out in one swift move. John let out a loud but brief scream, startling the nearby Nebari.

"God DAMN!" John clamped his teeth down hard and sucked in a sharp breath. He lifted his head to look at his leg, which was now bleeding profusely. "Son of a bitch," he said in a rush of breath, and dropped his head back down. "That _hurt_, woman!"

"I apologize, my dear John. But we must leave immediately." She grabbed him by his vest and pulled him up into a sitting position. "Get to your feet."

With her help, he got himself to stand, leaning hard against her. Vayarlla then pulled out a pulse pistol.

"You may need this." she said as she held it out to him.

John grimaced with discomfort and wrinkled his nose at it. "But...that's a weapon, it hurts people, it creates violence - "

"Your friends are coming and they will use whatever means necessary to take you with them, whether you want to go with them or not. And the Peacekeepers that are with them are allies of the Resistance, and they will attack us without mercy. It is not wrong to defend yourself." She smiled at him. "And you must remember, my dear John, all is forgiven if done in the name of the greater good."

He swallowed and reluctantly reached out to take the gun. After a brief moment of studying his pulse pistol, he looked up at Vayarlla with a clenched jaw and sharp eyes. "All right. Let's go."

**Chiana was the first** off the marauder, a pulse rifle tightly clenched in her hands. But before she got very far, Milac snagged her by the arm.

"Slow down. You're going to get yourself killed," Milac said in a sharp, irritated voice.

"I'll do what I want!" she snapped as she pulled away from his grip.

He grabbed her arm again before she could walk away. "They know that we're coming. If you charge in there - by yourself - you'll be killed instantly."

Chiana pulled away from him again. "Then keep up!" she growled. Then she smiled mischievously. "Neri wouldn't like it if I died, now would he?"

An expression of annoyance briefly played across his face. "You follow my lead, and follow my orders." he said. "Otherwise this mission will be frelled, and your friend Crichton will remain in the hands of the Establishment."

Her features changed to a look of fear and panic. She licked her lips and swallowed before nodding. "Okay. But w-we gotta hurry. I mean we can't let them get away!"

"We won't. That is, if we stop wasting time." Turning away from her, he began giving out orders.

Chiana wasn't paying attention though. She had her eyes locked on the thick, dark cloud of dust and smoke rising into the air above a mass of collapsed buildings. She couldn't see the Nebari ship from where she stood. She hoped it wouldn't be too difficult to get to. The crash looked severe, and she was beginning to wonder if anyone had survived at all.

They set out towards the crash site, now only a few motras away. Chiana walked quickly on her toes, eager to find Crichton and ready for anything. Some of their soldiers broke off into a separate group at Milac's command, and they disappeared around a building.

At last, they came to the ship, buried beneath large chunks of concrete. A path into the vessel was already uncovered and cleared out.

"Did...did they...they didn't leave, did they?" Chiana asked Milac, her breathing quickening.

Milac looked to one of his men, who was holding some equipment. The Nebari looked up from the device in his hand and shook his head. "I'm getting no readings."

"What the frell do you mean there's no readings?" Chiana hissed. Before he could respond, she spun around on her heel, and holding her pulse rifle up and ready, she swiftly walked into the ship.

Milac and two other Nebari followed her.

Chiana stood in the dark vessel, studying the half collapsed room. She held her breath as her eyes scanned the scene, desperately looking for something, anything! And that was when she saw it, and her heart stopped. There was blood on the floor, _red_ blood, in heavy splotches all across the floor leading to one big puddle over by the far wall. Chiana felt numb as she walked over to it and knelt down to study it. There was a long, sharp piece of metal next to the puddle, and half of it was covered in red blood.

When she spoke, her voice was quiet and edged with fear. "Th-this...this is C-Crichton's...Crichton's blood." She stood up and turned to face Milac. "He's...he's hurt..."

He looked down at the pool of red blood. "Then they can't be far."

**Intense pain shot down** his leg again and he stumbled. Vayarlla grabbed a hold of his vest and pulled him back up before he even hit the ground.

"Keep on your feet!" she hissed. "We must keep moving!"

"Sorry." John said through clenched teeth. He pressed his hand hard against the quick and sloppy bandage around his thigh. "But it hurts like hell."

Vayarlla grabbed his vest again in a tightly clenched fist and roughly pulled him along beside her. "You must ignore it, my dear John. We must move quickly, or they will catch up to us."

Suddenly there was a pulse blast and they both turned back just in time to see a Nebari drop dead. The rest of their team instantly went for cover and Vayarlla yanked John down behind a large pile of debris. Multiple pulse blasts were going off relentlessly, and smoke and the foul stench of burnt flesh filled the air.

Vayarlla peered out at the battle and cursed. "They found us."

"How many are there?" John asked.

"Too many."

"Do you see any of my friends?"

She leaned back against the pile they were hiding behind and looked at him. "Don't worry about that, Johnny dear. What I want you to do, is defend yourself and do not let them take you."

He nodded and shakily pulled out his pulse pistol. He stared at it with hesitation; he really didn't want to shoot anyone.

"_Frell_." Vayarlla hissed.

John's heart began to pound. "What?"

"They're advancing. And most of my men are dead."

John looked around the corner and saw a team of Peacekeepers and Nebari flooding in.

"Ah crap." He looked back at Vayarlla. "So what do we do?"

"We cannot stay here."

"Well...were are we gonna go?" he asked as he looked around, trying to find any possibilities.

"We have no choice but to retreat and hope that we can outrun them." Vayarlla said as she glanced at the shootout again.

John looked down at his wounded leg, which had begun to throb again. "I don't think I'll make it very far." he mumbled.

Suddenly Vayarlla grabbed him by the collar of his vest and roughly pulled him up to his feet. She spun him so that his back was facing her and jabbed the muzzle of her weapon hard into his neck.

They were now standing out in the open where they could be seen. There was no more firing or shouts of orders. It was silent, and the entire team from the Resistance had their eyes as well as their guns locked on Vayarlla and John.

"Vayarlla, what are you doing?" he asked, his heart now pounding and fear tightening in his stomach.

"I'm sorry, my dear John," she said quietly into his ear. "But I need you to be a good boy and cooperate. Otherwise I will have to kill you."

"You can't kill me, that's against everything we stand for!"

"You forget, Johnny dear, that all done for the greater good is forgiven."

"Let the Human go _now_," a firm voice yelled from the Resistance team.

"Crichton!" Chiana pushed past some of the men to get up front. Her eyes rested on Vayarlla and she snarled, "Let him go you frelling _tralk_!"

"Do not move or attack," Vayarlla called out. "Or I will kill John Crichton."

Chiana looked absolutely infuriated. "You won't kill him! You need him!"

Vayarlla shook her head. "The Establishment does not need a wormhole weapon to win this war! We just don't want you to have it! Killing this Human would solve that problem."

"And what do you plan on doing now?" Milac said. "Walk back to the Establishment headquarters? It's over an arn away, even longer on foot."

Vayarlla chuckled wickedly. "Oh no, I'm not walking. I'm going to take your ship."

"Crichton!" Chiana shouted. "Don't let her do this! Hit her or something!"

"I can't, Chiana," John said. "And I don't want to."

She looked stunned. "What the frell do you mean you don't want to?"

"What she's doing is necessary," he explained. "And it's for the greater good."

Chiana's jaw dropped with realization. "H-he...he's cleansed..."she said quietly. Then she looked at Vayarlla with a piercing glare. "You...you frelling mind cleansed him!"

Vayarlla was smiling smugly. "Either give me your ship, or he dies."

"If you kill him, there will be nothing to stop us from killing you," Milac pointed out.

"Then I would be dying for our cause," Vayarlla said with pride.

Out of no where, there was a loud pulse blast and they all went completely silent. Chiana's heart had stopped, thinking that Vayarlla had shot Crichton; but he was unhurt and still standing. But an expression of pain briefly played across Vayarlla's face and she sunk down to her knees and hit the ground.

Chiana looked up from Vayarlla's fallen body to see who had shot her. It was one of their men, a Nebari. And the rest of the team that had broken off from them earlier was there as well.

"Good work, Lieutenant!" Milac called out.

John was staring down at Vayarlla's body with a shocked look on his face.

Chiana cautiously began to walk towards him. "Crichton...it's okay,"

"You killed her," he said, his eyes still on Vayarlla's corpse.

"Crichton -"

"You _killed_ her, Chiana!" John snapped his head up to glare at her with burning eyes. "How...how could you do that? How could you be so heartless and violent?"

"She was going to kill you, Crichton."

He held up his pulse pistol, aiming it at Chiana. She instantly halted.

"Crichton...w-what are you doing?"

"Don't come any closer, Chiana," he said in a cold voice.

"What, are you gonna shoot me?" she mocked.

John shook his head. "I'm not going back with you."

"Crichton...you're not thinking clearly."

"Oh, I'm thinking the clearest I ever have! My eyes have been opened, Chiana. I see what the universe really is, and I see you for what you really are."

"I'm...I'm your friend, Crichton." she said with a small, uncertain smile.

"You're _violent_!" he spat. "Look at what you've done here! You _killed_ every single one of those Nebari!"

"I _saved _you!"

John pursed his lips and his glare sharpened. "I don't wanna hurt you, Chiana. But I will if I have to." He shook his head. "I'm not letting you take me back."

Chiana stared at him in silence, stunned and unsure what to do. Finally, after licking her lips and swallowing, she said, "What about Aeryn? You love her, Crichton." She slowly began to walk towards him again. "She's the entire universe to you. You can't...you can't just leave her. Y-you can b-barely survive a day without her." She softly shook her head. "Mind cleansing can't take that away."

"What the Establishment is trying to accomplish is more important than everything," John said.

"They wouldn't hesitate to kill Aeryn, Crichton." Chiana said as she gradually drew closer. "Would you be okay with that? I mean...that's violence!"

"It would be for the greater good."

She shook her head again. "They haven't opened your eyes, they've blinded you. Can't you see what they're doing? They're causing violence all over the galaxy! They'll kill anyone who doesn't convert! That is _not_ creating peace, Crichton!"

"You're wasting your time, Chiana," he growled.

"What about your little guy? What about baby D'Argo?" she asked quietly. "You're just gonna abandon him? He needs a father, you've told me so yourself!"

She was now standing right in front of him and he made no move to push her back or move away. Chiana stared up into his eyes and spoke softly.

"Are you gonna just walk away from everything you've ever cared about and loved?"

John shook his head softly. "I'm sorry, Chiana," he whispered.

"Yeah, me too."

And without hesitation, she rammed her forehead against his. He stumbled back a couple steps before collapsing, half conscious.

Chiana turned to Milac. "Let's get him outta here and back home."

* * *

Well? What'd you all think? Good? Bad? Dren? Fahrbot? LOL Let me know what you think! I'm so sorry that I don't have a Chapter Four preview for ya, but I'll have it up soon! I know exactly what I want to have happen, so it shouldn't take TOO long to get it all done. Thanks so much for reading and leave feedback!

HRS


	4. Chapter IV

**Title:** The Nebari Factor  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Beta:** Edited by my wonderful brother who is now an offical Scaper!  
**Spoilers:** Up to PKW  
**Time Frame:** Two months after PKW  
**Disclaimers: **None of it's mine! But you guys know that!

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone! LOL Whoa I'm surprised at how much you all liked Chiana headbutting John at the end of the last chapter! Glad you guys enjoyed that! I just was sitting there going, "Now how would Chiana knock John out?" and then I remembered that she likes to headbutt people, and I just saw that image and I laughed so I used it! I'm so sorry! But I'll try to get Chapter Five up much quicker! I owe it to you guys! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter and please leave feedback!

**Chapter IV**

_"Fetch the comfy chair."_

**-John Crichton: _The Hidden Memory_**

**Aeryn charged down the **corridors, roughly pushing past Nebari and Peacekeepers that were in her path. Her heart was pounding and it was all she could do not to run. As soon as she had received the message from Chiana, she had come as quickly as she could. But it wasn't fast enough; it had taken nearly an arn to get from Moya to the Resistance base, and she wanted to see John right _now_.

When she finally got to her destination, she instantly spotted John. She could see him through a wide viewing window, sitting on the floor of a cell. And she noticed a dark red bandage around his leg. Worry pumped through her veins.

Chiana hastily strode up to her. "Aeryn -"

"What's going on, Chiana? Why is he in that cell?" Aeryn didn't take her eyes off John once.

"H-he...he's b-been mind cleansed."

Aeryn snapped her head to look at Chiana briefly before returning her gaze to John. Frell, Scorpius had been right.

"So how can we reverse it?" Aeryn asked.

Chiana licked her lips before answering. "We can't."

Aeryn glared at her. "What do you mean we can't?" she snapped.

"I-It's temporary...drug induced," Chiana said. "That d-doesn't work on Nebari. It...it's meant for other species."

"So what?" Aeryn interrupted. "Get to the point, Chiana!"

"Well uh...s-since it doesn't work on Nebari...they don't n-need a cure, or anything to f-fix it."

Aeryn looked back at John with a sinking heart. Scorpius had been right again. Frell.

"So there's no way to return him to normal," Aeryn said in a quiet voice.

Chiana turned to look at him as well. "No. We just have to wait for it to wear off."

"How long will that take?"

"At least three arns."

Aeryn was silent as she studied her husband through the viewing glass. She missed him, and now she had to wait three more frelling arns before she could have him back. At least he was no longer in the Establishment's hands and out of danger.

"I want to talk to him," she said suddenly.

"Aeryn, I uh...I don't think that's such a good idea."

"Chiana," Aeryn turned her cold eyes to the young Nebari. "I want to talk to John," she repeated in her firm, commanding voice.

Chiana nodded hesitantly. "O-okay...But, Aeryn...just remember that...that's not really Crichton. Not our Crichton."

Aeryn could see in Chiana's expression that something had happened on her rescue mission. John must've said or done something...

They let her in to see him without any arguments. And as she walked into the small cell, her heart began to beat faster.

John shifted his eyes to look at her and her stomach felt like it had turned to ice. There was no warmth or love in his gaze, but instead his eyes were cold and empty.

His lips quirked into a faint smile. "Hey Baby."

Aeryn bit her tongue as she stared at him. She wanted to touch him, kiss him, tell him how much she's frelling missed him. But that would mean nothing to him now...or would it?

"John..." She stopped to swallow. "Chiana told me that you've been mind cleansed."

"It's not as bad as they make it sound." His eyes glazed over and his smile widened a bit. "It's wonderful...like no other feeling I've ever experienced before."

"Is it more wonderful than what we share together?"

His smile faded and he studied her in silence. Then he softly shook his head. "Chiana already played that card, Aeryn."

"What, are you saying that I mean nothing to you now?"

"What the Establishment is doing is for the good of the galaxy. Its value surpasses everything." His small smile returned. "I wish you could see it, Aeryn. Then you'd understand."

Aeryn was beginning to tremble. Those frelling tralks had completely mind frelled him. A knot had formed in her stomach and it was tightening with each passing microt.

"So that's all you care about now," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Everything else, Moya, Pilot, Chiana, Earth, our son...none of that means anything to you?"

"Sacrifices must be made in order to achieve our goal of galaxy wide peace."

Aeryn shook her head. "You didn't answer my question. Does anything you ever cared about matter to you anymore?"

John hesitated a moment before answering. "Yes. But they are nothing compared to the greater good."

"So they _don't_ mean anything," she stated firmly.

He shook his head softly. "Aeryn, Aeryn..." He slowly rose to his feet. "I wish I could make you understand." He lifted his hand to stroke her face.

Aeryn slapped his hand away before his fingertips ever reached her skin. He gazed at her with amusement and she glowered at him.

She couldn't look at him anymore, not with his eyes so cold and empty. And she didn't want to be in this cell anymore. This...this _thing_ standing in front of her held no trace of the man she loved. There was no point in persisting, it was obvious that it would get them no where. Besides, there were strong emotions swelling inside her and she wanted to be alone. Staying here was only making it worse."

"I'll come back when you start coming to your senses," she stated in a flat tone.

And before he could make any remarks about how clear his thinking was, she turned on her heel and left the cell as quickly as she could.

**He studied the - **what was it they had called him, a Hue-man? - with growing dislike. He couldn't see what was so special about this creature. He knew that this Crichton had been mind cleansed and most definitely wasn't himself, but he still didn't understand. What was it about this man that made Chiana care so strongly for him? He was most curious about John Crichton and his relationship with Chiana.

Neri shifted his gaze from Crichton to his sister. He had never in his entire life seen her so tense and so worried. And he would have never thought it possible for her to be this still and this quiet. It concerned and confused him to no end.

"He's going to be all right, Chiana," he assured softly.

She did not respond in any way, and at first he thought that perhaps she had not heard him.

But finally her lips quirked into the faintest and briefest of smiles, and she whispered, "I know."

Neri's stomach tightened with disappointment and sorrow. He did not like to see his sister in such distress. Not only that, but he had been hoping to catch up with her once she returned. But she would not let Crichton out of her sight. She had been in here ever since she came back from the rescue mission.

"Chiana," he began gently. "How long do you intend on staying in here?"

"Until he comes back." Not once did she remove her eyes from Crichton.

"But the drug won't even begin to wear off for another three arns."

"I'm not leaving him, Neri."

Clamping his teeth down, he turned to look at Crichton again, his dislike for the man rising even more.

**When Grayza turned to **face the hybrid, she straightened her back and lifted her chin. "Scorpius, I trust that this is important."

"It's regarding Crichton."

Her gaze hardened. "What is it?"

Scorpius looked pleased that he now had her full attention. "I assume that you know of his condition."

"Yes," she growled. "Get to the point, Scorpius."

"We both know the statistics of this war. The longer we wait, the more people are lost to death and the contagion. And the more the Establishment gains the advantage. We must act quickly!"

"I am aware of the situation," Grayza said with irritation. "But as long as Crichton is mind cleansed, we can do nothing."

"We cannot afford to waste such time," Scorpius snarled. "We must quicken the process."

"We need Crichton in good condition."

"My aurora chair would cause minimal damage."

"Physically yes," she agreed. "But it is mentally exhausting. Putting him through such treatment would require recuperation. And that would take days instead of arns."

"Well then perhaps you would like to use your tactics. It's proved to be much more effective than my aurora chair."

Grayza's eyes went dark with a piercing glare. "This is a different situation," she said coldly.

"Our time here is short. It is only a matter of time before the Establishment finds this base. And if Crichton is still mind cleansed when that happens, he will do everything in his power to rejoin them. And we cannot allow that."

She studied him for a moment in silence. "Fine. Do it."

**Chiana instantly got to** her feet, alarm and panic pulsing through her body. "W-what are you doing here?"

With a smug smile, Scorpius strode into the room, four Peacekeepers behind him. "I am here to take Crichton to his new holding arrangement."

"You're not taking him anywhere," she growled.

"I'm afraid that I must."

Chiana reached for her pulse pistol, but as soon as she had it out, two of the Peacekeepers grabbed hold of her. She struggled fiercely in their grasp.

"Let me go!" she shrieked. "If you hurt him, I swear - "

"I only wish to free him from the drug that clouds his mind," Scorpius said. "There is no need to worry."

"Don't touch him you fekkik!"

Ignoring her screams and shrieks, Scorpius opened the door to the cell and stepped inside.

John was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall, staring into space and lazily whistling. But as soon as he saw Scorpius, fear and shock briefly played across his face.

"Hello Crichton," Scorpius greeted cheerfully.

"Grasshopper," John mumbled. "I should've known you'd be here. What do you want? Wormholes? Or are you here to try and get me to change my mind? Aeryn didn't work, Scorpy, I dunno what chance you think you have."

"My ways are quite different from that of Aeryn and Chiana," Scorpius said. "Where they failed, I will succeed."

"So what are you gonna do? Stick another chip in my head? Put me in the comfy aurora chair?"

"The second would be most effective."

John looked at the hybrid again, fear bright in his eyes. "You can't do that."

"Grayza has granted me the permission."

John's stare hardened. "Why, what's the point of doing that to me? Gonna try to beat the mental cleansing out?" he snarled.

"It is from my experience that excessive pain makes the cleansing drug...dissolve," Scorpius explained. "There is no need to worry, Crichton. It won't last long."

John looked disgusted. "Doesn't it ever bother you being so sadistic? How can you live being so violent?"

"Don't waste your time spewing Establishment dren at me," Scorpius growled.

He turned and made a signal to the two Peacekeepers behind him and they swiftly moved forward to grab John and pull him up to his feet.

"Don't be afraid of the aurora chair, John," Scorpius said cheerfully. "It's going to save you."

**Aeryn whirled around when** she heard the door to her quarters sliding open. Chiana came rushing in, out of breath and panic - stricken.

"Chiana!" Aeryn said in alarm. "What's the matter?"

"Aeryn, it's Crichton."

"What? Is the drug starting to wear off?"

"No - "

"Did he escape?"

"No, Aeryn - "

"Is he hurt?"

"_Aeryn! _" Chiana shouted. "Scorpius took him!"

Aeryn froze. "What?"

"H-he says he's trying to help Crichton, that he's trying to make the mind cleansing drug w-wear off quicker." She stopped and swallowed hard. "H-he's gonna put Crichton in the aurora chair."

**Fear pitted in his** stomach when he laid eyes on it. It had been so long since he'd seen it, the thing that had scarred his soul and plagued his mind with flashbacks and nightmares for monens afterwards. And when they dragged him over to it, his heart began to race, pounding in his chest and drumming in his ears.

He told himself to fight them, that it would be okay, it would be self defense. There was nothing wrong with that.

But his fear had paralyzed him and he didn't struggle as they pushed him down into the chair. His throat went tight when they closed the metal restraints over his wrists and ankles. And a cold shudder ran down his spine when they placed the headpiece firm against his forehead.

"This is for your own good, Crichton." Scorpius was wearing a smile that said he was enjoying this far too much.

John's eyes went to the Peacekeeper standing at the dials, and the chair began to move. He remembered this all too well, slowly going round and round, never stopping.

"This won't get you anything," John said venomously to the crossbreed. "Even if this works, I have still seen the universe for what it really is. I will still favor the Establishment's cause above all else. I won't go back to the violent person I use to be."

"Oh but you will, Crichton."

He heard the turning of dials and pain instantly stabbed through his head, feeling like his brain was being torn apart. His body strained in the chair, arching slightly as quick grunts escaped his lips.

Then it stopped and he fell slack, already breathing deeply.

"Tell me John," Scorpius said as he stepped up onto the platform and standing in front of him. "What is the most important thing to you?"

John swallowed the bile that had risen in his throat and shakily said, "T-the Es-s-tablishment and their - "

Pain struck him again, digging deeper into his head. His body arched even more than before and his grunts had changed into short screams.

When it stopped, Scorpius leaned down close to him. "Crichton, what is most important to you?"

"T-the...the Establish..." John sighed heavily and closed his eyes. "I don't...I dunno..."

Scorpius stood up straight and turned to the Peacekeeper at the controls. "Go deeper."

John let out a loud, solid scream as intense pain flooded his head. The pain was so strong that he couldn't feel his throat beginning to tear or the painful twisting in his stomach. It was getting stronger, digging deeper, making his head feel like it was about to explode.

When it finally stopped, it left his temples and forehead throbbing and vomit abruptly jumped from his mouth. He had no strength to open his eyes or to speak, and breathing made his torn throat burn.

There was a voice...it most definitely wasn't Scorpius'...it sounded angry. He ignored his pain, pushed it aside, and concentrated on the muffled voice. His heart skipped when he realized it was Aeryn. He hadn't heard her voice in so long...

"Get him out of that frelling chair," Aeryn demanded. "_Now!_"

John felt the hot pressure on his forehead disappear as the headpiece was lifted away from him. He heard the loud clanks of the restraints being removed from his wrists and ankles.

"Don't touch him," Aeryn said in an icy tone.

He struggled to keep his head up and barely even got his eyes open. He wanted to see her, touch her, hear her voice...But his eyes would open no further and what little vision he had was hazy.

There were soft and cool fingertips on his temple. "John?"

Her voice was angelic and it made his heart skip again.

His eyes fluttered and he forced them open even further. Seeing her, even through the haze, made him smile. "Aeryn..." His own voice was low and raspy.

"Come on, John, let's get you out of that chair." Her voice had lost its steadiness and hearing it made his chest tighten.

Her strong arms carefully wrapped around him and she held onto him firmly as she helped him up. He was too weak to stand and they nearly collapsed to the floor. Aeryn steadied their balance though, and gently eased him down into her lap. He closed his eyes and indulged in the sensation of her hands holding him possessively, one of them placed on his chest and the other softly stroking his face.

John opened his eyes again and looked up at her. Her agonized expression pained him. "Aer-Aeryn...'m...I'm s-so s-sorry - "

"Don't talk, John," she said softly. "Just try to rest. The medics will be here soon."

"Honey...Aeryn...I love you," he murmured.

And then he slipped into unconsciousness.

**He sneered with annoyance.** "What is it, lieutenant?"

"Sir, Vayarlla has returned and she wishes to speak with you."

His sneer faded and he turned to face the lieutenant. "When did she arrive?"

"About an arn ago, Sir. She had taken a pulse blast to the back and was unable to report to you without first getting receiving medical attention."

"Send her in," he snapped.

The lieutenant nodded curtly and stepped out of the door, and a moment later Vayarlla walked in.

"Kythe," she greeted with a slight bow of her head.

"What the _frell_ took you so long?" he barked. "Where's John Crichton?"

"He...escaped."

"What do you mean he _escaped?_ Didn't you cleanse him?"

"Yes, but the Resistance had sent a retrieval squad after him," Vayarlla explained. "My team was outnumbered."

"So the Resistance now has possession of Crichton?"

"Yes."

Kythe glowered at her. "This is unacceptable, Vayarlla. You let the most powerful weapon in the universe fall into the hands of the Resistance. You're obviously not as capable as I had thought."

"I can get him back," she growled through gritted teeth.

"You think I'd entrust such a mission to _you?_"

"John Crichton and his wormhole weapon could easily turn the tide of this war. If he remains in the hands of the Resistance, all we have worked so long and hard for is lost," Vayarlla stated in a cold tone. "I understand that and I know the greatness of my failure. But I live for the greater good and I will do everything in my power to keep it alive."

Kythe studied her a moment. "I do not doubt the strength and intensity of your faith, Vayarlla. But I cannot deal with this now. We have a team prepared to attack a Resistance base."

"We've found another one?" she asked with high interest.

"Yes. About an arn ago."

"Where is it located?" she asked, coming to stand beside him.

"There," he said, pointing to a spot on the chart.

"That's not far from where my team was attacked," Vayarlla said. "Crichton may be in that base."

Kythe's eyes lit up and he smiled. "I will be sure to inform our team of that."

**As soon as the** slightest bit of consciousness came to him, he felt pain and soreness all over his body. He slowly opened his eyes, which caused a brief dizziness, and he wondered where he was.

A soft voice came from somewhere close beside him. "John?"

Aeryn. His heart skipped a beat and he suddenly felt desperate to see her. It caused slight pain in his neck to turn his head, but he ignored it.

"Hey Honey," he greeted her quietly, his voice still a bit hoarse.

She looked tired and worried and he saw a hint of sorrow in her eyes. He knew why - the things he had said...

Aeryn smiled at him. "I was beginning to wonder when you were going to wake up."

"How long have I been out?"

"About two arns." She lifted her hand to gently touch his face. "You needed the rest, you've been through a lot."

She was trying to keep her voice steady, and she was doing a rather good job at it, but he could tell she was fighting hard to keep it that way.

John put his hand over hers and kissed her palm. "Aeryn, I'm so sorry. The things I said - "

"You were mind cleansed, John," she interrupted.

"Doesn't matter. I still said it, and I hurt you."

"It hurt to see you under their control," she said firmly. "I knew it wasn't really you." She pulled her hand from his and slowly ran it through his hair. "I shouldn't have let you go down to the hangar by yourself."

Sudden horror struck him. "Oh God no, Aeryn, if you had come with me, they would've grabbed you too."

She said nothing and pursed her lips.

He closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. "I'm sorry for doing this to you."

"Doing what?"

"Dragging you into this war."

"We've already talked about this, John,"

"But Aeryn -"

"Stop it, John," she ordered firmly. "Not now. We'll discuss it later if you want."

He decided to let it go for now, he didn't want to upset her. He wanted to touch her hair, but she had it tied back. He hadn't seen her do that to her hair for a quite a while now. He actually sort of missed it.

"Where are we?" he asked as he glanced around. "What happened?"

"You don't remember?" she asked in mild alarm.

John squinted his eyes in recollection. "Some of it's a little hazy...and there are some gaps."

"Well they said that you'd have temporary short term memory loss of the last few arns," Aeryn explained, "due to the way you had your mind forced back to normal." Her tone went bitter as she said it. "But after I got you out of the chair, you just went unconscious."

He closed his eyes and clamped his teeth down hard as flashbacks of being in Scorpius' aurora chair quickly played through his mind. The memories made his body hurt more.

"So where are we?" he asked again. "The nurse's office?"

"A medical facility, yes," Aeryn said. "They cleaned and bandaged your leg properly. It was badly infected."

"Glad I wasn't awake for that."

"How did it happen?" she asked, referring to his leg.

"Chiana didn't fill you in?"

Aeryn shook her head.

So John explained to the best of his memory what had happened. Aeryn wasn't too happy about it, but she also looked...relieved?

"I thought that they had hurt you," she said quietly, eying his wound. "I had thought it was intentional."

John shuddered at the clear memory of the blinding pain he felt when Vayarlla pulled the object from his thigh.

"John, are you all right?" Aeryn's voice was thick with concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied shakily.

Aeryn didn't seem to believe him. "What did they do to you, John?"

"Nothing, Honey. Nothing big. She sure liked to use the damn control collar, though."

"Who is 'she?'" Aeryn asked darkly, sitting up straight.

"A Nebari chick, Vayarlla."

"And she put a control collar on you?"

"Until they sucked my eyes out, yeah."

His gaze traveled down to her mouth and he had a sudden desire to kiss her. It seemed like it had been forever since he last saw her, kissed her...They were rather rudely interrupted last time...He figured that she felt like it had been a long time as well.

He was either correct in this assumption or she had read his mind, because she leaned down and gently brought her lips to his. It was tender and cautious at first, but with each passing second it became harder, deeper, more passionate. But soon Aeryn slowly pulled back, and John's stomach clenched at seeing small tears in her eyes.

Before he got to say a word, the doors of the medical bay opened and Chiana's excited voice caught his full attention. "Crichton!"

He turned his head to look at her as she bounced over to him, a male Nebari close behind her. John thought he looked somewhat familiar...

Chiana smiled brightly. "Hey old man!"

"Hey Pip," he replied and returned her smile.

She instantly began to run off apologies. "I'm sorry that I got you caught up in this war, I'm sorry that you got kidnaped and mind frelled, and - "

"Chi," John interrupted. "It's okay. You have nothing to be sorry for. You saved me from the Borg Queen. I should be thanking you, and after what I said to you... I'm the one that should be apologizing."

"Nah, you don't have to do that," Chiana said with a shrug. "It wasn't really you, I mean...you were cleansed." She leaned down and kissed his forehead. "I'm glad you're back."

"Thanks Pip, me too."

Chiana glanced back at the Nebari behind her before returning her gaze to John. "Crichton, this is my brother, Neri."

John looked at Neri, who was studying him with dark eyes and a stony face. He didn't look very welcoming.

"John Crichton, it is an...honor, to meet you." Neri's voice was flat as he spoke. "Chiana has told me much about you."

"Yeah, she's talked a lot about you, too," John said wearily. Something about Neri made John fidget uncomfortably.

When Neri spoke again, his voice carried a hint of iciness. "I should thank you for watching after my sister the last few cycles."

John didn't quite like the sound of that. "Well I didn't exactly have to babysit her or anything," he said as he looked at Chiana, who looked rather uncomfortable herself.

"No, of course not," Neri replied in a low mutter.

It sounded awfully like a growl to John.

**After a brief discussion **with one of the doctors, John and Aeryn were allowed to leave. John's leg still hurt, and he walked with a slight limp. And there was of course the addition of how sore his body was and a sharp headache that would not go away, courtesy of the aurora chair.

When they finally reached their quarters, Aeryn locked the door and John eased himself down the edge of the bed. He glanced around the room and a sudden thought struck him.

"Hey Aeryn?"

"Yes John?"

"Um...where's the tadpole?"

"He's up on Moya," she answered as she walked over to him.

John raised his eyebrows. "By himself?"

"Of course not," she said as she sat down next to him. "The DRDs are watching him."

He stared at her in horror. "Moya's orbiting Nebari Prime, the center of a war, and you left our son up there by himself?"

"Well I most certainly wasn't going to bring him down _here!_/'

John leaned his elbows on his knees and buried his face in his hands.

Aeryn placed her hand on his back, gently running it up and down his spine. "John, it's all right. I just went up and checked up on him a while ago. He's fine."

"Aeryn, we can't keep him up there like that the entire time."

She kissed his shoulder. "I know. We'll figure something out."

He sighed and scrubbed his face one last time before dropping his hands. "I have some questions."

"I have a lot to tell you. I'm sure it will provide most of your answers."

"Anything good?"

"We're here with both Grayza and Scorpius, and both sides of this war want your wormhole weapon. What do you think?"

"Nothing good," he mumbled.

"No."

John sighed and sat up straight. "Then it can wait a couple arns."

"You should get some rest," Aeryn said quietly.

He turned his head to study her. She looked haggard and concerned, but her desire and anxiety did not go unnoticed.

He stroked her face with the backs of his fingers. She gave him a watery smile and her eyes glossed over. Sliding his hand down around her waist, he leaned in and kissed her softly. She immediately opened her mouth wide and deepened the kiss. John slowly pulled back, already breathless. And leaning his forehead against hers, he softly brushed his nose across hers and whispered, "I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered back.

Smiling faintly, he went in for her neck. He skimmed his mouth over her skin, his warm breath tickling her. He finally kissed her neck, his lips and tongue tenderly caressing her skin. Then he pulled back and leaned in to kiss her on the lips again.

Just when their mouths joined, the ground and walls shook violently as a loud, thundering rumble roared in their ears. Immediately following, a high pitched alarm filled the room, ringing loudly, and bright blue emergency lights flashed on.

* * *

Gaw, poor John and Aeryn just can't get a moment alone for cryin' out loud! LOL But now that John's back in his right mind, there will be more kisses and shippiness! But the craziness does not end here! Oh no! LOL I'll say no more...Thanks again for reading, I really truly do appreciate you guys reading! Leave feedback please, and I'll get Chapter Five up as soon as I can!

HRS


	5. Chapter V

**Author's Note:** ((Sigh)) So sorry that this took a while. It took a bit longer than I was expecting. Thank you all for the wonderful feedback! I really appreciate it! Okay, here's chapter five. It's a bit shorter than the others...sorry! I was intending to make it far longer but I figured I'm already long over due on posting so I decided to split the last part into Chapter six! Anyways, that chapter should be up soon! I know I always say that, but this is my spring break right now so I've gots lots of time! Anyways, enjoy.

**CHAPTER V**  


_"Listen, I don't want to lose you either, but could we definitely get back to that later?"_

**-Aeryn Sun: _Meltdown_**

* * *

****

**"Ah hell," John grumbled **as he got to his feet. Couldn't he and his wife have some time to be together just once?

Aeryn cursed as well and stood up next to him.

John reached down for his pulse pistol, but his holster was empty. "Ah crap," he hissed. What had happened to Winona? Did Vayarlla take her? He couldn't remember.

Just then Aeryn thrust a pulse pistol at him. "You left her on Moya."

He was relieved to see that it was indeed Winona. "Thanks," he said as he took it from her.

As he checked Winona to make sure she was undamaged, he growled. "Those damn lights and that alarm are getting really annoying."

"They won't stop until the attack is over," Aeryn told him.

"Great. Who the hell is attacking us, anyway?"

"My guess would be the Establishment."

"Well, we'd better get out there and see what's going on," John said. "Try to help out if we can."

"Are you feeling good enough to do that?" Aeryn asked with worry.

"Don't really have a choice. We can't stay in here."

"All right, let's go then."

He turned to head out the door, but she grabbed his arm and pulled him back. He raised his eyebrows in curiosity and amusement.

Aeryn tried to suppress a smile. "Can we definitely get back to that later?" She gestured toward the bed.

A wide smile broke out on his face and his eyes lit up. "God, I love you."

He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss.

**When they walked out** into the corridor, they were nearly run over by swarms of panicking people. Screams of fear, shouts of orders and the firing of weapons filled the halls.

Shaking off his shock, John turned to Aeryn. He had to yell in order for her to hear him over all the noise. "We need to find someone who knows what the hell is going on!"

Before she could reply, a loud explosion at the end of the hall went off, drawing their attention. There was fighting going on, but John couldn't see who was attacking through all the smoke.

Aeryn pulled him in the opposite direction of the battle, hurrying down the corridor. They hurriedly pushed past all the rushing people, pulse pistols clenched tightly in their hands. Finally they came out to a large chamber and they froze, stunned. Huge piles of rubble and debris littered the floor, and a cold wind lashed at their faces and howled across the room. John's eyes slowly drew upward, and his mouth parted with shock. A wide hole was in the ceiling, and he could see the dark sky of Nebari Prime at the end of the large tunnel.

"Frell," Aeryn whispered next to him. "That's how they got in."

"They did that to get down here?" John asked, still gaping at the sight.

"It's the only way to get down to a Resistance base for anyone who doesn't know the secret path," she explained. "And it's far quicker and far easier. It also gives them enough space to fly their ships down here, and leaves the base vulnerable to attack."

"So we're in big trouble," John summed up in a mutter. "Crap, we gotta find Chiana. The Establishment wants her, we need to make sure she's okay and keep her from being taken."

"They want you too, John," Aeryn reminded him. " I'm sure they know you're here."

"Yeah, I bet they do," he growled. "We can't stick around here, Aeryn, we're gonna get caught."

"Agreed. Let's keep moving."

There was another explosion somewhere off in the distance, but they ignored it as they ran down another corridor filled with people. John caught sight of Neri and reached out to grab the Nebari by his arm.

Neri whirled around and snarled as he held up his weapon.

"Whoa! Hey!" John let go of him and held his hands up. "Chill out, bro, it's just me."

"Crichton," Neri growled and lowered his weapon. "What do you want?"

"We're looking for Chiana," John said. "Do you know where she is?"

Neri looked reluctant to tell him. "She went to her quarters. Why do you want her?"

"Well in case you didn't know, the Establishment knows that she's your sister," John said. "And if they find her, they'll take her."

Neri's eyes darkened. "Chiana doesn't need you to protect her," he snapped.

"Chiana is going to need all the help she can get," Aeryn stated firmly. "She can't fight against so many enemies. You're her brother, you should be concerned for her safety."

Neri turned his sharp gaze to Aeryn, looking even angrier than before. "I can take care of Chiana. We have this under control, you two should go find cover."

"_Under control?_" John repeated with sarcasm. "Don't think so, pal, you guys are gettin' your assess whopped! Or have you not noticed all the explosions and dead bodies?"

"Of course I have!" Neri hissed.

"We don't have time for this!" Aeryn shouted. She put her hand on John's shoulder. "John, we need to go find Chiana, now."

John kept his hard glare on Neri for a moment, his jaw muscles flexing with anger. Finally, he said, "Right. Where's Chiana's quarters?" he asked Neri.

Neri growled. "I'll take you, you'll never find it on your own."

John opened his mouth to make a come back, but Aeryn shot him a look and he clamped his mouth shut.

It didn't take them long at all to get there, but to John it felt like forever. The rush of panicking people and the explosions seemed to never end. He was surprised they hadn't been attacked yet. _Don't go there John,_ he thought, _you'll jinx it._

When they came to Chiana's quarters, they found the door open and the room empty.

"Frell," Aeryn hissed. "She could be anywhere."

"Or they might've already taken her," John said with dread.

Neri bristled with anger. "They didn't take her!" he snapped.

John sent a glare in his direction and then spoke into his comms. "Hey Pip! Chiana, can you hear me?"

The only response was static.

"They could be jamming the comms signal in the base," Aeryn said.

"Of course they are," Neri said firmly. "They'd be idiots not to."

John bit his lip in frustration. Neri was really starting to push his buttons.

Suddenly there was another explosion right out side the door. The impact knocked them all off their feet.

John hit the floor hard and Winona flew from his hand. There was a loud ringing in his ears and his head was spinning so much it made his temples throb.

He groaned and peeled his eyes open, looking for Aeryn. She lay a couple feet away from him and she was unconscious. Slowly, he got up on his elbows and dragged himself over to her.

"Aeryn," he croaked, the thick smoke clogging his throat and lungs. He gently touched her face as worry pulsed through his veins.

He hadn't heard the approaching footsteps and he went completely still when the warm muzzle of a weapon jabbed into the back of his neck.

"Don't move, Human," a deep voice snarled. Then came a throaty laugh. "You are much easier to catch than they say, and much smaller."

John made no reply and kept his eyes on Aeryn, concern still pounding in his chest. Part of him wanted desperately for her to wake up, while the other part prayed she wouldn't so that they wouldn't know she was still alive. If they did, they might kill her...or mind cleanse her...or worse.

The Nebari soldier behind him grabbed hold of his vest and yanked him up. "Get on your feet, Human," the Nebari snarled. He pressed his weapon hard against John's jaw. "I will be highly rewarded for your capture."

"Good for you," John mumbled, his eyes still locked on Aeryn.

He nearly jumped out of his socks at the sudden burst of pulse blasts. Sparks and heat touched his skin, and he twisted around to see that it was the Nebari soldier who had been shot. But to John's shock, the Nebari was completely undamaged.

John moved his gaze to see who had fired and saw Chiana standing in the doorway.

Chuckling, the Nebari soldier moved its weapon to aim it at Chiana. John instantly cracked his elbow into the Nebari's face, which only barely knocked it off balance. But its grip on John did not loosen, and with a scowl it punched him hard across the face. John's head spun and the bitter, metallic taste of blood flooded his mouth.

"Crichton!" Chiana shrieked in horror.

She fired even more shots at the Nebari, but the blasts still did not penetrate its armor.

The Nebari lifted its weapon again, and this time John lunged for its raised arm. The weapon fired from the sudden impact, the pulse blasts hitting the floor and sending sparks up into the air. John's weight nearly pulled the Nebari down to the floor.

Growling loudly, the Nebari grabbed John around the throat and lifted him off the ground. "You are becoming a nuisance, Human," it snarled.

Then a pulse blast suddenly hit the Nebari in the head and it instantly dropped John and collapsed.

John looked up expecting to see Chiana, but instead he saw Aeryn, her pulse pistol tightly clasped in both hands.

She rushed over to him and helped him sit up. "John, are you all right?"

He only nodded, still a bit delirious from the hit to the face. And he was too happy to see that she was unhurt to think about himself.

He startled her slightly by abruptly pulling her in for a kiss.

"Crichton!" Chiana called as she ran up to him. "Are you okay? Where's Neri?"

"I'm fine, Pip, thanks. Your bro is over there," he pointed to the unconscious Nebari.

Chiana bolted over to her brother to wake him.

John looked over at the dead Nebari soldier and frowned. "What's the deal with that guy?" he asked Aeryn. "Nothing we did to him left a scratch."

"I don't know," Aeryn said as she too looked at the dead soldier. "I'm sure Neri can tell us."

John turned to look at Neri, who had just woken. His eyebrows furrowed and his lips pressed into a thin line as he studied the Nebari.

"John, what's the matter?" Aeryn asked, concern in her voice once again.

He shook his head and looked back to her. "Nothin'."

She didn't look convinced, but said nothing.

"Neri!"

They all looked up to find Milac standing in the doorway.

He walked over to Neri. "Sir, we have managed to take out the majority of the Establishment soldiers and the few remaining have retreated."

"Whoa, whoa, wait a second!" John said, holding up his hands. "You mean we beat them?"

"For the moment, yes," Milac answered. "But they will come back."

Neri got to his feet with some help from Chiana. "We can't withstand a second attack."

"Then we can't stay here," Aeryn said.

"Obviously," Neri growled. Then he turned to Milac. "Milac, send out the Movement order. Everyone here must be prepared to leave within two arns."

Milac nodded curtly and left to carry out his orders.

John looked at Neri in alarm. "And just where are we gonna go?"

Neri glared at him from the corner of his eyes. "To the surface."

"T-the surface?" Chiana repeated. "B-but the Establishment controls the surface, Neri!"

"The Establishment cannot monitor the entire planet at once, Chiana, Nebari Prime is too big," Neri explained.

"So what are you saying?" John asked. "They have a blind spot? A place we can hide?"

Neri nodded curtly, looking annoyed. "That is correct."

"Well we can't stay up there forever, the Establishment will spot us eventually," Aeryn pointed out.

"We are not going to _stay_ there," Neri said firmly. "It is only temporary."

"And where are gonna go after that?" John asked.

Neri growled with irritation. "I cannot stand here and answer all these pointless questions. I have work to do if we are to be out of here in two arns. I suggest you prepare yourselves as well."

He pulled away from Chiana and quickly exited the room.

"Nice guy," John mumbled.

"H-he's just stressed, Crichton," Chiana said.

"Yeah Pip, I know."

"Chiana," Aeryn said as she looked back down at the dead Establishment soldier. "In the time that we've been here, have you learned anything about these Establishment soldiers?"

Chiana's eyes went to the body and she shook her head. "N-no. But I can look into it for you." She looked up and smiled faintly at John. "You guys should get some rest before we have to leave."

**Getting back to their **quarters proved to be somewhat difficult. They had to work their way around dead bodies and debris, and some passageways were completely blocked off by collapsed roof. And some corridors were closed off by security. It seemed like forever before they finally reached their quarters.

John plopped down on the bed, laid down on his back and groaned. "What a day."

Aeryn sat down on the bed and looked down at him. "John, we need to talk."

"I said it can wait a couple arns, Aeryn," he reminded her.

"Circumstances are different now, John. This is important and I might not get the chance to tell you later."

Sighing heavily, he rubbed his eyes. "Fine. What's up?"

She licked her lips before speaking. "Grayza doesn't want a bluff from you, she wants you to actually use the wormhole weapon against the Establishment."

His eyes snapped open. "What? Aeryn, what are you talking about?"

"She lied to get you to agree in this war and she's going to try to force you to use the wormhole weapon!"

He sat up and stared her straight in the eye. "How'd you find out about this?"

"Scorpius told me."

His eyebrows shot up. "Why would Scorpius tell you that?"

Aeryn shook her head. "Not now, John, that's not important."

"So you believe him?"

"Yes."

He was silent as he studied her, then anger darkened his features. "What the hell is Grayza thinking? She goddamn had a front-row seat the last time I used the damn wormhole weapon!"

"But you stopped it, John," Aeryn reminded him in a firm voice. "You _stopped _it, and she thinks that you can do that again. And if it can be stopped, then it's not so dangerous."

"Yeah but stopping it damn near killed me! And I can't do it anymore anyways!"

"I don't think it would be wise to inform her of that."

His expression changed to one of curiosity mixed with fear. "Why not?"

"Because…" She looked sickened and angry, and like she was ready to kill. "She won't let you go."

"Did Scorpy tell you that too?"

She nodded.

Fear blazed in his eyes and she saw him shudder. He bowed his head. "Well I believe that," he said quietly. "But Aeryn, she's gonna find out eventually."

"I know. I don't know what to do." Her voice had begun to quaver, making her sound scared.

He looked up at her again, and she was watching him with glistening eyes and a furrowed brow. He smiled every so faintly and reached up to stroke her face.

"We'll figure it out," he said softly.

Aeryn leaned toward him to rest her forehead against his. After a moment of silence, she spoke.

"I won't let her ever touch you again."

Her voice carried many different tones and it made his stomach twist.

Unwelcome memories of what had happened to him on Arnessk flashed across his mind and he shuddered again.

Aeryn wrapped one arm around his waist and used her other hand to caress his face.

"John…were you ever going to tell me?"

He pursed his lips into a tight line for a moment before responding. "Eventually…maybe – I dunno, Aeryn. I just wanted to forget about it. And once I had you back…it got easier. And once our son was born and we started a family I forgot about it completely.

She slid her hand up to his hair and kissed him ever so softly on the lips. "Is there anyway I can help you?"

"Baby, you already have."

"That was then, John, I want to help you now."

She kissed him again, a little harder this time.

"Aeryn, you're helping just by not getting pissed off about it," he said quite seriously. He lifted his hand to run his fingers over her jaw. "I don't know what I'd do if…"

His voice died out and he never finished the sentence. Closing his eyes, he sighed silently.

"Do you…do you want to talk about it?" she asked hesitantly.

After they had finally started their relationship back up again only a few monens ago, they had never talked about the events of the past cycle. Not about her time on Talyn or his time on Moya, or their time apart after she had left. It was just something they had both pretended never happened, and it was left unspoken of ever since. She couldn't explain why, maybe it was because it was something they both wanted to forget, or maybe it was that none of it mattered anymore, or it could've been that they just didn't ever get the time.

John softly shook his head. "Aeryn, I really don't think you wanna know the details."

"You don't have to give me the details, John, just tell me anything you want."

He studied her in silence, love for this incredible woman hammering in his chest. She was right, talking about it would most certainly help. He had never talked about it to anyone, at all, and he had never been able to counter it himself.

"John, please," she begged. "It'll help you…"

"There's not much to tell, Aeryn," he said quietly. "She came to Arnessk, caught me and everyone else off guard, and then she took me to the beach and introduced me to heppel oil."

Her body tensed up and she swallowed hard. "And that's it?"

He hesitated, uncertain whether or not to be honest. "No…no, that's not it…" He ran a hand over his face, scrubbing hard at his eyes and then wiped his mouth. "She uh…well I…Noranti…I kinda fell off a cliff – "

"_What?_" Aeryn was sitting bolt upright with wide eyes.

He would've laughed at her reaction, but she looked deeply concerned and angry about this.

"Well it was over an ocean, Aeryn, I didn't get hurt or anything."

She looked as though she were about to argue, but instead she slowly relaxed and nodded. "So what happened?"

"I…Grayza decided that I couldn't be trusted to wander around freely like that, and…"

He stopped and turned his gaze away from her, his body tensing up and his jaw muscles flexing. His eyes went dark and his brow furrowed as the memory played through his mind.

Aeryn squeezed his hand gently. "John?"

He closed his eyes. "She tied me up in her room and…and that's it."

He really didn't want to tell her that it was his part in the escape plan to go back to Grayza and distract her with sex while waiting for D'Argo's signal.

"Why would she do that? What did she want from you?"

"Because I'm John Crichton! The wormhole guy!" he drawled heavily.

Aeryn only stared at him with a hard gaze.

He bowed his head and whispered an apology.

She reached for his hand again and leaned her head on his shoulder. She stared at his hand as she gently stroked her fingers over his skin. After a short period of silence, she lifted his hand to her lips and kissed his palm.

"I love you, John."

He wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her closer, and kissed the top of her head. "Love you too, Babe."

As the day's events went through her mind, a sudden longing for him coursed down her body and she moved to sit in his lap, face to face. His mouth was slightly quirked into a smile and his blue eyes sparkled with amusement along with curiosity.

"You remember what I said earlier, I want to get back to what we started," she reminded him.

"Uh…Aeryn, Honey, we're suppose to be gettin' ready for the field trip to the surface."

"We have nothing to pack or prepare, John. We brought nothing with us. All we have to do is wait." She smiled playfully. "And we have nothing to do for two arns."

"Well, when you put it that way…"

He smiled broadly and flipped her down on the bed.

**Kythe scowled and his** fingers itched for his weapon.

"Nearly the entire squadron was taken out. An entire squadron of superior soldiers!" he spat as he studied the console with a cold gaze.

Vayarlla strode up beside him, a small smile stretching her dark lips. "Yes, but ultimately we won. Our team did too much damage for them to stay. They will have to abandon their base. And," Her dark eyes lit up. "We have confirmation that John Crichton is with them."

"That's exactly the problem, Vayarlla," he growled. "We could have Crichton and the wormhole weapon in our hands! How could our soldiers be defeated by inferior Resistance soldiers and Peacekeepers?"

She studied a nearby hologram of the Resistance base. "That branch is quite large. Our team may have been outnumbered.

Kythe sneered and glared at the map. "Our soldiers would have to be drastically outnumbered to be defeated."

"Well perhaps we underestimated the population of the base," she said with a slight tilt of her head. Then she turned to face him again. "It doesn't matter. They are weakened and they have no where to go but the surface." Her eyes gleamed with excitement. "We have the greatest advantage on the surface. We can easily capture Crichton."

He shook his head. "I cannot send in another team yet." He straightened his back as a smile twisted his lips. "I have a better idea."

* * *

So what d'ya guys think? Is it any good? I'm sorry but again, I have no preview for the next chapter. I mean I have quite a bit of it written but none of it is real good preview material...But I'm working hard on it so I should have it up rather soon! Anyways, please leave feedback or I'll die!

HRS


	6. Chapter VI

**Author's Note:** Yay! I finished this chapter much sooner that I originally predicted! That's always a nice surprise! So I hope you all like it! You guys get a nice break from Nerri! Okay, on with the story! Read and enjoy and please let me know what you think!

**CHAPTER VI**

"_The fact that I may never see my son again is a grief I would wish upon no one. It pains me to think of what he's going through right now."_

**-Ka D'Argo: _Look at the Princess, Part 3 - The Maltese Crichton_**

* * *

****

**The coarse wind swept** across his face and brushed through his hair; it slipped past his leather coat and spread over his skin, making him shiver. Biting his tongue, he tried to ignore the lashing wind.

There was a light touch to his hand and his wife's voice came from beside him, quiet and just barely tinted with concern. "John? Are you all right?"

He only nodded in response as his eyes scanned the landscape. He had two visions of this planet, and on the way up he hadn't been sure which to expect.

In one vision, it had been as he saw it now, dark and ugly, desolated, and the air heavy with a foul odor. In the other, it had been the most amazing and beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on. The two had somehow blurred together and he hadn't been sure which one was true and which was not.

There was a gentle squeeze around his hand now, and his wife's voice carried more worry. "John?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but the strong, dry wind filled his mouth and the gross smell assaulted his tongue. He swallowed and ignored the bitterness lingering on his palette and made a second attempt at replying to her.

"I didn't know what to expect," he said quietly, his voice half carried away by the wind. "I wasn't sure...what it looked like."

The furrow of her brow deepened, but she squeezed his hand a bit harder in understanding.

Squeezing her hand back, he finally pulled his eyes away from the ugly view and turned to face her. He offered her a lopsided smile. "Sorry, just thinking."

"It bothers you, doesn't it?" she asked. "That you were mind cleansed."

He opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say. He worked his jaw in a ponderous silence before speaking. "I don't...I don't remember it like I was brain washed. I remember it like I really had changed, like those views were really my own. I really did love this planet and I only cared about 'the greater good.'" He stared down at his feet and shook his head softly. And when he spoke, he sounded broken and deeply shaken. "If I had to...I would've killed you, Aeryn. And I would've done it without a second thought, I wouldn't have even cared."

Aeryn reached out and gently turned his face up so that she could look him in the eye. "That wasn't you, John. It wasn't John Crichton." She moved her hand from his face to stroke his hair.

He sighed as he closed his eyes, and leaning forward he touched his forehead to hers.

Chiana's voice caught his attention, the strong wind making her sound farther away then she was. He turned to face her as she ran up to them.

She came up beside him and gave them both a quizzical look. "What're you guys doin' out here?"

"Enjoying the scenery," John answered with hardly a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "What's up Chi?"

She suddenly looked nervous and she licked her lips and swallowed before replying. "G-Grayza's looking for you, Crichton."

He tensed at the Peacekeeper's name, and Aeryn gently squeezed his hand again.

"What does she want?" he asked.

Chiana shook her head. "I...I d-don't know. But I think sh-she might be going back to the command carrier."

John bit down hard on his tongue and looked at Aeryn. She looked at him, worried and scared.

"Thank you, Chiana," Aeryn said with a nod.

Chiana nodded curtly, and with one last glance at John, she hurried off.

Aeryn turned to her husband. "John -"

"Not out here, Aeryn," he gently interrupted, shivering from the cold wind again. "Let's go inside."

**There wasn't exactly an** 'inside' and there was hardly any room for privacy. They had set up their temporary base of operations in a small sector of the ruined surface. They had crammed into half collapsed and decaying buildings, the Resistance men working busily and the poor civilians who had run to them for help and protection at the start of the war sat huddled in corners with blankets tightly wrapped them.

It reminded John of Earth, of the homeless shelters or the shelters provided during wars. It cast a sense of sorrow over him as he and Aeryn made their way through all the people to the small room that they had been provided. They were part of the few who received such privacy and space, and complete shelter from the whipping wind. John had wanted to give it to someone who actually needed it, some of the civilians perhaps, but at the moment he was grateful he and Aeryn still had it.

They silently stepped into their room, which was nothing but a dirt floor, concrete walls and two mats with blankets for sleeping. Once the door slid shut behind them, Aeryn turned to face him, her expression stony.

"You can't go, John," she said firmly.

He slightly shook his head. "Aeryn, we don't know why Grayza's looking for me. Chiana was just guessing."

"Is that really what you think?"

John chewed on his lower lip for a moment before shaking his head. "No."

Aeryn took a step toward him. "If you go to the command carrier with her, she'll try to make you use the wormhole weapon."

"Well she's gonna have to settle for a bluff, 'cause that's all I can give her."

"If she finds out you can't do it - "

"Aeryn, she won't," he said as he locked his eyes on hers. "If Grayza tries to force it, then I'll just have to remind her that I agreed to a bluff only."

She stepped closer to him. "What about your child?" she asked softly. "What if she threatens you with it?"

He stared at her in silence, frantically searching his brain for an answer. But he found none and shook his head. "I dunno, Aeryn."

"John...please, don't go."

"I have to, Aeryn. It's why I came."

He saw the emotion in her eyes, the fear, the love and the anger. Her jaw muscles flexed and she swallowed hard.

Cupping her face in both hands, he gazed into her dark eyes. "Aeryn, it's okay," he said quietly, slowly stroking his thumb over her cheek. "It's gonna be okay."

She gazed at him briefly before leaning in to kiss him. It was soft and gentle at first, but she quickly pushed harder, deepening it, and she slid her arms under his long coat to wrap them around his waist. He kept his hands on her face, keeping her lips firmly pressed against his as he too deepened the kiss even further.

When they parted, he rested his forehead against hers and softly brushed his nose over hers. Her arms tightened around him and she pushed her nose harder into the gentle nuzzle.

"Aeryn, about Little D..." He stopped and licked his lips, knowing she wasn't going to like what he had to say. He didn't like it either.

"What, John?" she whispered.

He hesitated a moment, still gently running his thumb over her cheek. "We can't leave him on Moya, and we can't bring him down here," he began in a quiet voice.

"Mmm hmm," she agreed, moving closer to him and leaning her body against his. "So what should we do?"

He took in a deep breath; here it goes. "The safest place for him right now is the command carrier."

She instantly went stiff against him and she lifted her head from his to look him in the face. "What?"

"I don't like it either, Aeryn, but we gotta be realistic here. "

"We agreed to keep him off command carriers," she reminded him with a firm tone.

"Honey, I know, but we can't leave him by himself up on Moya and we can't bring him down here, it's too dangerous."

"And you think he'll be safe up there?" Her tone was cold now, and it was making his heart beat faster.

"Aeryn, I don't want him up there any more than you do. I don't want him to be surrounded by Peacekeepers or anywhere near Grayza, but we don't have a choice." He brushed his fingers through her tied back hair. "It's not the best place, but it's safe."

"How can he be safe on board Grayza's command carrier?" She nearly snapped it and his stomach twisted up. "She could use him as more leverage against you!"

"What would you rather do, Aeryn? Leave him all by himself on Moya for God knows how long, or bring him down on this destroyed and filthy planet that's the center of a war?"

She stared at him with a hard gaze. "I don't like it, John."

He softly shook his head. "I don't like it either, but it's our only option."

She leaned into him again, resting her head on his shoulder. He moved his hands down to encircle his arms around her.

"We should've left him somewhere," she murmured into his shoulder. "We should've taken him to Hyneria and left him with Rygel and Noranti."

"We didn't have time to do that," he said as he stroked her hair, running his fingers over her braid. "Besides, Vayarlla was right on our backs chasing after me. We probably wouldn't have made it to Hyneria."

Aeryn's arms tightened around him even more. "Why does everyone want you so frelling much? When are they going to be done doing this to you?"

"Not 'till I'm an old man and I can't move anymore," he joked lightly.

"That's not funny, John."

He rubbed his hands up and down her back. "Sorry."

They fell silent and stood in each other's arms. After a while John broke the silence, speaking ever so softly.

"Aeryn, I should go."

"I'm coming with you."

"Honey -"

"Don't argue with me, John. I'm not letting you go up there with Grayza by yourself."

After studying her in silence for a moment, his mouth curved into a small crooked smile and he pulled her in for another kiss.

**He kept his hand **planted firmly on Winona and he protectively leaned in closer to Aeryn. He looked down at D'Argo, who was held in Aeryn's arms. Little D'Argo was very interested in everything around him. The bright red walls of the ship, the beeping and the lights on the consoles, the sound of the engine and all the unfamiliar people around him. John would have smiled at his son's curiosity if they weren't standing in a Peacekeeper marauder.

Grayza approached them, and instantly his insides churned and he squeezed the handle of Winona.

"We are now approaching the command carrier," Grayza reported to them. Then she turned her eyes to John. "I hope you are prepared for this, Crichton."

"It's just a phone call, I can handle it," he replied with a slight tilt of his head.

"It will be much more than that," she growled.

He nearly smiled at her apparent nervousness. "Chill out, Commandant. You know I'm a good bluffer."

She only stared at him in silence, then her gaze fell down to D'Argo and the hair on the back of John's neck rose. She smiled slightly at the infant, then she lifted her chin into the air and spun on her heel to walk away.

John let out a silent breath and his grip on Winona loosened.

"Are you all right?" Aeryn whispered to him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said with a nod.

Aeryn glanced around the ship once before saying, "I don't like this, John."

"I know. I don't either."

Just the thought of Grayza being anywhere near his little tadpole gave him a deep, gut wrenching feeling.

He looked back down at Little D, who smiled and gurgled at him. He smiled grimly in return.

**With each passing second** he was beginning to regret more and more that he had brought his son here. With every Peacekeeper that passed him and every murmur that reached his ears, this was looking more and more like a really bad idea.

He looked over at Aeryn; she was holding D'Argo with even more protectiveness than before and the expression on her face was stone. She was as uncomfortable with this as he was. Uncomfortable was an understatement, they hated it, and the bad feeling swirling in his stomach was getting stronger. He felt like turning around right now and taking their son back to Moya.

But despite how much he hated it, he knew this was best for little D'Argo. Moya was the safest place really, but there was no one there to watch over him, or feed him, or change his diapers. Taking him down to Nebari Prime would surely get him killed. So this was their only option left.

They came to a halt and were met by a female sebacean. She wasn't dressed like a soldier or a tech, John guessed that she was a nurse of some sort.

Grayza turned to face both John and Aeryn. "You may leave your child with her. She is the best we have, and she is also the caretaker of my child," she explained. "I assure you that your son will be placed under strict protection."

Aeryn looked back and forth between the two Peacekeepers, then looked to John. He reflected her reluctant expression, but he nodded to her. She looked down at her son one last time before taking in a shuddering breath and carefully handing him over to the nurse. John took Aeryn's hand in his as they watched their son being taken away with heavy hearts.

Suddenly something occurred to John. "Speaking of kids," He looked back at Grayza, meeting her cold gaze with his. "I wanna see ours."

Aeryn stiffened beside him and she firmly squeezed his hand.

Grayza's lips twisted into a smug but impatient smile. "Of course."

**John loved kids, **he always has. But standing there, looking down at his daughter...he was almost afraid to touch her. He swallowed hard as his daughter stared up at him with big eyes that were a transfixing mix of purple and blue. Aeryn obviously noticed it too, as she had inhaled sharply and reached for his hand.

He slowly pulled his hand free and took a step closer to the small bed that his daughter lay in. He studied her for a moment, then hesitantly reached down and lifted her into his arms.

She made a small sound of protest, but once he cradled her against his chest, she fell silent. She stared up at him with curious eyes and clumsily grabbed a fistful of his leather jacket and playfully tugged on it. John watched her with a parted mouth and a deeply furrowed brow.

Aeryn gently placed her hand on his shoulder and rested her cheek against his arm as she also studied the baby in his arms.

He felt his eyes beginning to burn and he worked his jaw as he fought back the tears. He was trembling as he laid his daughter back down onto the bed. She made a small whine of disappointment and waved her hands at him. He stroked the thin layer of soft hair on her head a couple times, still intensely studying her.

He made a small sniffle and tried to cover it up by wiping his hand over his nose and mouth.

Aeryn stood up straight and looked at him, and her heart nearly broke at how shaken he looked. She gently took his hand in both of hers and spoke softly. "John?"

It took him a second before responding, and when he did, his eyes remained on the baby. "Yeah, uh..." He straightened up and turned away from his daughter with a bowed head. "Let's go."

**Aeryn stood next to** him with her hand on her pulse pistol as he gazed out the large view screen at Nebari Prime.

"So," John began as he put his hands on his hips. "Are we gonna telephone the Borg Hive or what?"

Both he and Aeryn looked to Grayza.

Grayza looked highly irritated at them. He was expecting her to reveal her true intent now, to try and convince him to actually use the wormhole weapon. But instead, she turned to bark out an order at a nearby Peacekeeper. "Open a comms channel to the Establishment headquarters."

She turned back to John. "Remember Crichton, we're trying to end this war. And win it."

"Yeah, I'll try not to screw anything up," he said as he turned back to the view screen.

"If you do, you know what the consequences will be," she reminded him in a low, firm voice.

He froze at the thought of his daughter being hurt. And he didn't get to remind her of what their original agreement was, as the image of a Nebari appeared on the view screen.

He was the scariest Nebari that John had ever seen(not that he's seen that many). His rich black hair was short and wild, sticking out in all directions, and his face was covered with nasty scars.

"Commandant Grayza," the Nebari greeted with a sneer. His dark eyes shifted to John. "And the notorious John Crichton."

His lips twisted into a smile that gave John the willies.

Grayza lifted her chin proudly into the air and a smug smile stretched across her face. "Colonel Kythe," she greeted loudly.

Kythe glanced at her, then returned his gaze to John. "Do you really intend to help the Peacekeepers, Crichton?"

"Sure do," John replied. "I'm willing to go the whole way, wormhole weapon and all."

Kythe tilted his head and regarded John with interest. "After all that they have done to you, why would you help them?"

"Because I don't want you spreading your STD all over the universe, and neither do they."

Grayza spoke up again. "Unless you surrender and halt your spread of the Contagion, we will use the wormhole weapon and decimate your headquarters."

"Don't take me for a fool, Grayza," Kythe snarled as he glared at her. "I know that the wormhole weapon cannot be so controlled."

"You don't know squat," John said. "All you've heard is a story that's been passed around so much that it's been twisted far from the truth!"

Kythe glowered at John. "Destroying our headquarters here would not stop us!"

"It would be the beginning of the end," Grayza said. "Your headquarters on Nebari Prime is the center of the Establishment. Destroying it would cripple your small branches elsewhere."

Kythe scowled at her and John and then his image abruptly vanished.

John raised his eyebrows and looked over at Grayza. "That went well."

Grayza wore a small smile but her eyes were cold when she faced him. "We shall see."

**They walked off the** marauder in silence, casually making their way back to camp. Aeryn continuously glanced at John, worried about him. He held an expression that always sent concern pulsing through her body and made her stomach knot up. His mouth was set in a grim line and his eyebrows were furrowed, making him look hurt and broken. She didn't doubt that he was blaming himself in some way for something.

She gently touched his elbow and pulled him to a stop. He looked at her with vague curiosity, his tortured expression still shadowing his face.

"John..." Suddenly her throat went tight and she didn't know what to say. She wanted to comfort him, but she didn't know how. She only stared at him with glossy eyes and a worried expression of her own.

He reached up to gently run the backs of his fingers down her face, studying her with soft eyes. But his expression didn't change, and it was making her heart clench.

"She's beautiful, Aeryn," he said quietly, sounding guilty for even thinking that. "It would be so amazing to watch her grow up...or at least see her when she's older..." He moved his hand to her hair, running his fingers down a soft strand. "But I'll never see her again, and she'll grow up to be a Peacekeeper." The corners of his mouth wavered as he struggled to fight back tears. "A Peacekeeper..." he repeated in a whisper.

Aeryn bit her lip as she fought back her own tears, and gently touched his face. He turned toward her hand, gently nuzzling his nose into it and kissed her palm.

"You may see her again, John," Aeryn said in a soft tone.

She hated the pain she saw in his eyes, the pain that creased his forehead and made him tremble slightly.

_But she'll still be a Peacekeeper_, Aeryn thought, and at that moment she knew John was thinking that as well.

He ran his hand through her hair, and cupping the back of her head he pulled her to him in a warm embrace. Aeryn clutched to him and buried her face in his shoulder. And the tighter he hugged her, the more the tears under her eyelids threatened to fall. She stroked the hair on the back of his head and tightened her other arm around him.

When he finally released her, he kept his eyes downcast and wiped his hand over his mouth. "We uh...we should get back."

He was hurting, and she wanted so desperately to take away his pain. She knew this was not something she could fix. She could only offer love and comfort, and she hoped that it would be enough to at least help him.

"John,"

He looked up at her, his eyes red and teary. She lightly touched his face again, then leaned in to bring her lips up to his in a tender kiss. He opened up to her and she carefully ran her tongue over his lip. When she pulled back, she leaned her forehead against his and warmly wrapped her arms around his waist.

**John wearily made his **way passed all the people to his room. Aeryn had gone to talk to Chiana about something, he couldn't remember what, and said she'd be there shortly. He had been somewhat disappointed, and she had been reluctant, but now he wanted nothing but to be alone for a while. He felt so tired and he just wanted to sleep.

He stumbled over one of the huddled civilians legs and mumbled an apology. He walked into the dark passageway that led to his quarters, and stopped to lean against the wall. He rubbed at his eyes fiercely with the heels of his hands and then rubbed his hands over his face a couple times. The image of his gorgeous little daughter flashed through his mind and he sucked in a sharp, trembling breath. Closing his eyes, he leaned his head back against the wall and breathed deeply for a minute. Finally he stood up straight and continued on his way to his room.

The door immediately slid open in front of him, and he was grateful for such technology. He stumbled into his room, and never thought that the flat, uncomfortable mat that posed as his bed could look so warm and welcoming.

Falling to his knees on the edge of the mat, he fell flat on his stomach and let out a heavy sigh. And just when he closed his eyes, something hard jabbed into his back, and it was accompanied by a high-pitched, scratchy voice.

"Make no moves, John Crichton,"

* * *

Well, I hoped you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think! Chapter VII will be up soon!

HRS


	7. Chapter VII

**Author's Note:** Um...oh boy! ((Runs to hide))

**CHAPTER VII**

"_I'm the winner-take-all weapon guy."_

**-John Crichton: _The Peacekeeper Wars_**

* * *

**"Oh God," John moaned** into the mat. "You have _got_ to be kidding me! Just go away!"

"Shut up!" the high-pitched and scratchy voice hissed while firmly nudging his back with the weapon. "Get up!"

"No thanks, I'm good on the floor," he mumbled.

He was too tired for this crap, and at the moment he couldn't care less. Whoever this was wouldn't shoot him anyway, if he was injured then they'd have huge difficulty getting him out of the camp, and the notorious John Crichton was wanted alive by the universe.

The weapon was roughly jammed into his back again. "_Stand up!_" the voice shrieked.

He sighed into the mat. "You guys always pick the worst times," he grumbled. "Can you wait until I've slept a bit?"

"Quit talking and get up!"

"_Okay_, fine. Sheesh."

John rolled over onto his back and sat up. When he looked at the rude intruder, he nearly jumped in surprise.

It was a small Nebari female, with large eyes that gave him the chills, small lips and a pointed nose. Her hair was a dirty gray color and she was dressed in poor clothes. She looked like one of the Nebari civilians out in one of the larger rooms.

He didn't know what she wanted, but he was in no mood to be gentle.

"Who are you?" he asked with annoyance.

"Ask no questions!" she snapped. "Stand up!"

"Listen lady, I don't - "

"I said keep your mouth closed and get on your feet!" she snarled, and she roughly poked his shoulder with her weapon.

John gritted his teeth and lashed out to grab her weapon. But she was quicker than he was and she slammed her elbow into the side of his face. The blow knocked him back flat on the ground.

"_Damn_," he grunted through clenched teeth. He pressed his hand against his throbbing cheekbone. "That's some punch ya got there."

She grabbed the collar of his jacket and violently pulled him into a sitting position. Jamming her weapon into his stomach, she snarled, "Stand up right now, John Crichton."

He stared at the Nebari weapon aimed at his stomach, then he looked up at her again. Shaking his head, he smiled. "You aren't gonna shoot me."

"Don't mess with me, Crichton," she warned. "Now GET UP!"

"All right!" he huffed. "Give me some space, and I'll do it."

She barely backed up from him and John slowly rose to his feet. Before he was even all the way up, he pulled out Winona. But the Nebari instantly smacked the pulse pistol from his hand. In a blurring motion, she grabbed his outstretched arm, threw him face down on the ground and sat on top of him with her weapon pointed at his head.

"You don't know what you're dealing with, John Crichton," she hissed into his ear. "Now quit wasting time and do as I say."

Before he could make a response, he heard the familiar sound of a pulse blast and sparks showered over him. The weight on his back shifted as the Nebari female fell off his body and sprawled out on the floor.

"John!"

Aeryn was instantly at his side, helping him to sit up.

"Are you all right? Did she do anything to you?"

"I'm okay."

Aeryn's eyes went cold as she glared at the Nebari. "What did she want?"

John looked at the Nebari as well. "Besides me? I dunno."

"What did she want _with_ you, then?" Aeryn asked with slight irritation.

"I haven't got a clue. And right now I really don't care, I just want some rest."

Aeryn stayed at his side and kept her eyes on the Nebari as she called through her comms. "Chiana?"

"_Yeah, Aeryn?_" came Chiana's voice.

"John got attacked by a Nebari female, she looks like one of the civilians. I've incapacitated her. I need you to send someone in to get her."

"_I-is Crichton okay?_" Chiana's voice carried slight panic.

"He's fine," Aeryn answered. "Just get someone down here, Chiana."

"_All right, it'll be a few microts_."

Aeryn sighed heavily. "All the frelling time," she growled at the Nebari.

"Hey Honey," John said lightly, looking at her. Once she turned to face him, he said with a small smile, "Thanks for saving my ass."

At first she looked annoyed. "It's been my purpose in life ever since I met you, John." Then a smile broke out on her face.

The door to their quarters slid open and Chiana rushed in with two other Nebari and Nerri close behind. Nerri instantly frowned down at the Nebari female's body.

"She's a spy," he announced.

"From the Establishment?" Aeryn asked, suddenly on full alert.

Nerri nodded. "Yes."

"W-well what did she want with Crichton?" Chiana asked, looking back and forth from the Nebari to John.

"I'd have to assume that the Establishment knows you're here," Nerri said coldly as he looked over at John. "And they've informed their spies of that."

Aeryn got to her feet, staring hard at Nerri. "You've known about their spies?"

"The Establishment has their spies in the Resistance, as we have ours in their bases," Nerri said cooly as he turned to Aeryn. "We don't know who they are or how many there are, it's impossible to tell. But we know they're here."

John snorted. "That's real comforting."

Chiana turned to her brother. "S-so Crichton's gonna be continuously attacked by these frellnicks?"

"If there are any more of their agents in our branch, then they may try to retrieve Crichton," Nerri replied.

"Great," John grumbled.

"This is a danger to us all," Nerri said firmly, looking back at John. "Now that they know you're here, we could get attacked at any time. And here on the surface, they have the advantage."

"Well then we'd better get ourselves back under ground in one of your bases," Aeryn stated firmly, her sharp eyes resting on Nerri.

"It is not that easy," Nerri growled. "But now that this has happened, we have little choice but to quicken the process of finding a branch that can take us in."

Nerri motioned to the other two Nebari, and they moved forward to pick up the Nebari female and carried her out of the room. Nerri glanced around one last time with a dark gaze before exiting the room himself.

Chiana instantly bounced over to John. "Hey old man, did that tralk hurt you?"

"Nah, Pip, I'm fine."

She reached up to stroke his hair affectionately. "I'm gonna m-make sure that you d-don't get attacked like that again, okay?"

John smiled faintly at her. "Thanks, Chi."

Chiana kissed his temple and then got to her feet. "I uh...I'm gonna go help 'em with that tralk, see if we can learn anything."

And she hurried out of the room.

John let out a heavy sigh and leaned back against the wall. "So, Honey, what did you and Pip talk about?"

Aeryn walked over to him and sat down beside him. "She told me about the Nebari soldiers that attacked us a few arns ago."

He opened his eyes with interest. "What'd she say?"

"The Establishment has developed a type of drug, a stimulant, that they inject into their soldiers. It builds up their muscle and gives them the advanced capability of hand-to-hand combat. And the armor they wear is resistant to pulse weapons."

He raised his eyebrows. "Whoa. No wonder we didn't leave a scratch on that dude."

Aeryn took his hand in both of hers and began to trace lazy patterns on his skin. He looked at her, and she was staring at his hand with her forehead creased in concentration.

"Aeryn, what's the matter?"

She bit her bottom lip for a moment before answering. "We've hardly been part of this war for three solar days and you've been through so much frelling dren already."

"Yeah," he sighed. "I'm gettin' kinda sick of hearing my own name."

Aeryn looked at him, her eyes glossy and her jaw clenched. "Are you sure you're all right? She didn't hurt you?"

"Well, she hit me in the head." John pointed to his already bruising temple and winced slightly. "But other than that, I'm fine. I'm just tired."

Aeryn carefully touched the darkening patch of skin with her cool fingertips. "It doesn't look too bad," she observed.

"It hurt like hell."

She was silent as she stroked his temple for a few more seconds, then she sat back. "You should get some rest."

"That's all I wanted," John mumbled as he got on his knees and crawled over to his mat. He dropped himself down on it and let out a heavy sigh. "Aeryn?"

"Yes, John?"

"Love you."

"Love you, too."

**Kythe fiddled with his** gun subconsciously, standing in the middle of the strategic room.

Vayarlla stood at his side, watching him with curiosity and anxiety. "Do you believe Crichton will use the wormhole weapon?" she asked.

"Yes, I believe he will," he answered calmly. He turned to face her. "It is now our top priority to capture Crichton."

Vayarlla nodded, a small smile stretching her lips. "Of course."

"If our spies cannot retrieve him, we will have to use a different tactic. Besides, we can waste no time. We must act now." A smile slowly spread across his face. "We know exactly where Crichton is, and he is on the surface."

"And the surface is our territory."

"It is our playground," Kythe said, his smile widening. He looked up at Vayarlla again with a glint in his dark eyes. "Two strike forces should be enough."

Vayarlla returned his smile.

**As soon as he** came out, Chiana rushed up to him.

"Nerri! What happened? Did you find anything?" she asked eagerly.

Nerri shook his head. "That pulse blast killed her, thanks to your ex-Peacekeeper friend."

"W-well what about other Establishment spies?" Chiana asked. "Have you tried to find out if there are anymore in our branch?"

"No, Chiana."

"Well why not?" she snapped with a cock of her head.

He looked at her irritably. "Because I do not have the resources to spare for such an investigation."

Chiana shook her head while glaring at her brother. "Don't give me that dren, Nerri," she said in a low growl. "I know you have plenty of resources to - "

"Chiana, I have to concentrate on finding a Resistance base that has enough room to take us in! I can't waste my time or my people on protecting Crichton!"

"Crichton is your best chance at winning this war, Nerri!" Chiana shouted. "And if you don't do something about it, then...th-then I will."

He tilted his head slightly to the side. "And just what are you going to do, sister?"

"I'll...I'll do what I have to," she said, staring straight at him. Then she licked her lips and swallowed. "Listen, Nerri, Crichton...h-he means a...a lot to me. We've been through a lot a-and I don't wanna lose him." She softly shook her head. "I can't lose him. I...I won't."

Nerri stared at her in silence, a look of hurt and surprise on his face. "He means that much to you?" he asked quietly.

Chiana only nodded, staring at the floor.

He tightly pursed his lips as he studied her. He slowly walked towards her and gently put his hands on her shoulders. "Then I will do it."

She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling with surprise and hope.

"For _you_," he added.

Her lips slowly curled into a small smile. "Thank you, Nerri." She lifted her hand to touch his face with gentle fingers. "Thank you," she repeated in a whisper.

Nerri nodded and then stepped back from her. "I have to get back to work," he said flatly. And whirling around, he quickly walked away

**John had only managed** to fall asleep because he was so exhausted. He had been wanting to sleep not simply because he was so tired, but also because he wanted to escape from life for just a few arns. But falling asleep only made everything so much worse.

His mind worked no differently when he was asleep. The only difference was that in his sleep, his mind conjured up much clearer images. Dreams about Little D up on the command carrier, in the hands of Grayza, surrounded by Peacekeepers, about the wormhole weapon and Grayza and her heppel oil, and of course his little gorgeous daughter with her big purple-blue eyes. It seemed to go on for arns before he finally awoke with a jolt.

He took a few silent, deep breaths and the images slowly faded away. Swallowing hard, he rolled over to look for Aeryn. She was sitting right beside him, her eyes concentrated hard on the door and she was holding her pulse pistol tightly in both hands.

"Aeryn?"

Her eyes instantly darted over to him, and her expression softened. She smiled weakly. "Hey."

John sat up and rubbed the sleep from one of his eyes. "Whatcha doing?"

"I'm keeping watch incase any more Establishment spies come in," she said as she looked back at the door.

His brow creased slightly with guilt and he quickly glanced at the door. "Baby, you don't have to do that."

"They know you're here, John," she firmly reminded him. "Someone could've walked in at any microt while you were asleep."

A smile slowly crept to his lips. "Aeryn, Honey, I appreciate the thought, but I think that you would've woken the instant the door opened anyway. You should get some rest."

She ignored his last statement. "Did you sleep well?"

"I..." He licked his lips and nodded slightly. "Yeah, it was okay."

He lapsed into silence, a blank expression occupied his face and his eyes glazed over as some of the dreams replayed through his mind.

"John?" Aeryn was looking at him, suddenly worried.

He snapped back into reality and cleared his throat. "Uh, listen Aeryn, you don't need to stay up and be my body guard."

"I'm not tired."

"Yeah right," he murmured, studying her haggard face.

"John, I wouldn't be able to sleep even if I tried. Don't argue with me."

He sighed and leaned his forehead down against her shoulder. "Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?"

"Why do _you?_" she retorted.

He chuckled softly and silently wished that she was not wearing that long-sleeved green shirt; it was covering her arms and he wanted to feel her skin.

With a small smile, he scooted around behind her with his legs on either side of her and his chest pressed against her back.

"What are you doing?" Aeryn asked suspiciously.

"I'm trying to get you to relax a little bit," he said softly into her ear, his lips brushing lightly against her skin.

"I'm fine," she said defiantly.

"No," He slowly slid his hands down her sides. "You're tense and stressed." He slipped his hands under her shirt to run them over her stomach.

She shivered against him. "You're not helping any."

His smile broadened and he slowly grazed his mouth over the skin on her neck. "I'm not, huh?"

"No."

She wasn't growling warnings at him or making any moves to stop him, so he continued. He tenderly kissed the spot behind her ear and she inhaled sharply. And when he gently nipped her neck, she let out a rush of breath and relaxed against him.

He smiled victoriously. "See, I helped."

"You are irritating, John Crichton," she said with a light growl.

Laughing softly, he kissed her head. "I love you too, Honey."

They fell into a brief silence before Aeryn spoke.

"John?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you worried about D'Argo?"

John tightened his arms around her. "Yeah, I am."

It was a moment before she replied. "I'm...very scared for him."

"Me too."

The image of Grayza smiling down at their son when they were on the marauder flashed across his mind and he shuddered.

They fell silent again until Aeryn spoke once more

"When we were on the command carrier...I was expecting Grayza to try and make you use the wormhole weapon."

"Yeah. Maybe she decided to go with the threat first and see how things play out."

"We should leave," Aeryn said abruptly. "You held to your agreement and you did what she asked for."

He softly shook his head. "Aeryn, if Grayza has more plans for me, there's no way she's going to let me go."

"She doesn't have to know, we can just run."

"Aeryn, D'Argo's over on the command carrier," he reminded her. "It's not like we can just go over and pick him up."

Aeryn sighed angrily and leaned back harder against him. "It's not fair, John," she complained with a sharp tone. "Why does this always happen to us?"

"Because I'm the universe's punching bag."

She obviously didn't like that metaphor, as she went stiff in his arms.

"Aeryn," He gently took one of her hands in his. "When this is over, I promise, we'll disappear so that no one can find us. No one that's not a friend anyway."

"That sounds nice," she said as she softly stroked his hand. "But you better frelling keep that promise, John, or your eema will be in serious trouble."

He smiled brightly. "Sounds fun."

The air was suddenly split by a loud, shrieking scream which was followed by multiple rumbles and pulse blasts.

John and Aeryn were instantly on their feet with their pulse pistols out. The corridor just outside their quarters was swarming with people all running in the same direction. The air was filled with smoke and loud sounds of battle were coming from the larger rooms around the corner.

John pushed against the current of people, Aeryn close behind him, and peered out at the scene. His blood ran cold at the sight of hundreds of Establishment soldiers, easily slaughtering Resistance men and woman and civilians.

Aeryn tugged on his jacket sleeve. "John, we have to get out of here. We have to go _now_. _John!_"

He snapped back at the harsh sound of her voice and whirled around to face. "Right, let's go."

But she didn't go where everyone else was headed. Instead, she pushed through the flow of people and went through a door leading out of the building. Once making sure that he was still behind her, she quickly made her way down an alley.

There was an odd and very loud sound pounding in his ears, and John looked up at the sky. His stomach dropped at the sight of over two dozen drop ships.

"John? Why are you stopping? We have to keep moving!"

He swiftly reached out to her and pulling her to him, he planted his hands on either side of her head and kissed her hard. She instantly pushed him back, but he kept his hands on her face.

"What's the matter?" she asked urgently, her voice firm.

His fear was making it hard to breathe and he barely choked out the words, his voice rough and trembling. "They're here for me, Aeryn. They're here for me."

"I know that John, which is why we have to get out of here!"

She tugged on him to keep moving, but he pulled her back.

"Aeryn, look at the sky. They sent a damn _army!_ There's no way I'm gettin' out of this."

"Don't you dare say that!" she snapped at him, her eyes glossy.

He kept his eyes on hers as he softly rubbed his thumb over her cheek. "They believed the bluff, Aeryn. They're scared of the wormhole weapon and they don't want to lose this war."

"John -"

"Aeryn, LISTEN TO ME!" he shouted urgently. "They control the surface and they prepared for this. There's no frelling way that I won't get caught."

Tears were pooling in her eyes as she shook her head. "John, you're not - "

"Aeryn, I want you to find someplace safe and _hide_," he ordered firmly.

"No John! I'm not leaving you!"

"Aeryn, I'm not gonna argue with you!"

She threw herself at him, pushing him back against the wall and slammed her mouth down on his in a hot and urgent kiss. She reached up into his hair and curled her hands into fists. She abruptly pulled away from his mouth, breathing deeply, and leaned in close to his ear.

"You listen to me, John Crichton," she growled. "We are _not_ separating and you are _not_ surrendering yourself to them! I love you more than anything in this frelling universe so _shut up_ and follow me so that we can get out of here before they catch us."

"Aeryn, no, wait - "

She grabbed his jacket collar and roughly pulled him forward.

"Aeryn, stop!"

She came to an abrupt halt and hissed, "Frell!"

John stared at her baffled. "What?"

He followed her wide-eyed gaze down to the end of the alleyway and saw a large, bulky Establishment soldier grinning widely at them.

John was too stunned to move and everything went so fast he nearly missed it. The Nebari soldier laughed loudly and lifted his weapon. Just as he fired, Aeryn shoved John out of the way of the blast and the blue, rippling beam hit her. The blast knocked her back a few feet and she landed hard on her back.

"_Aeryn!_"

Panic and fear tore down his body and he bolted over to her. She wasn't bleeding and had no wound to his great surprise and relief. With shaking hands, he felt for a pulse and choked back a sob of relief that she was still alive. He heard the Nebari solider's heavy footsteps as it advanced, but John didn't move. His heart hammered in his chest and his eyes burned fiercely with tears as he stroked Aeryn's face.

"Aeryn, I'm sorry," he whispered to her with a trembling voice. "I'm so, so sorry." He sniffled hard and shook his head, but never once took his eyes off her. "You're gonna hate me so much."

The Nebari soldier was only a few yards away now, and he had begun to chuckle.

Aeryn shifted slightly but her eyes didn't open. John swallowed and leaned down to kiss her softly on the lips. "I love you, Aeryn. So damn much. Remember that, okay? I love you."

"John Crichton," the Nebari said, his voice deep and booming. He pressed the muzzle of his weapon against John's neck. "We have been looking for you."

"Yeah, I know," John said, trying to steady his voice. He slowly got to his feet, the weapon never once losing contact with his skin. "Go ahead and take me."

"You're giving up so easily?" The soldier sounded greatly disappointed and surprised.

"Yeah," John replied quietly, still gazing at his wife. "Let's go to the big Borg Hive."

* * *

Feedback please! ((Runs to hide again)) 

HRS


	8. Chapter VIII

**Author's Note:** Well, I'm really glad that everyone enjoyed the last chapter! Thanks for not chasing after me to kill me:D Well, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter as well! Please leave me some feedback! I'll die without it!

**CHAPTER VIII**

"_No matter what you may believe, I can't do it."_

**John Crichton: _The Peacekeeper Wars_**

* * *

**Chiana pressed her back** flat against the wall to get out of the way of the flow of panicking people. Her heart was racing and adrenaline was pumping through her veins at the distant sounds of battle. She already knew who was attacking, and her first instinct had been to find Crichton. 

She slid along the wall until it turned to another passageway. Once she made sure she was alone, she called into her comms, "Crichton?"

There was no response.

"Are you there, old man? _Crichton!_"

Still nothing.

Chiana bit down on her lip in fear. Had they captured him?

"Aeryn?"

No reply.

She cursed through clamped teeth. This was bad. She had to try to find them. Or at least...find out if they had been taken. She shook her head sharply, wanting to clear the idea from her mind. They were both safe, they had to be. Aeryn wouldn't let anything happen to Crichton.

But fear was still churning in her stomach. Tightening her grip on her pulse pistol, she headed back out into the crowded corridor.

"Chiana!"

She spun around and came face to face with her brother, Nerri.

"Nerri, have you seen Crichton or Aeryn since the attack started?" she asked, speaking quickly with panic.

He shook his head. "No, I haven't."

"I have to find them!"

"Wait, Chiana - "

But she had already whirled around and began making her way through all the people. Nerri instantly went after her.

When she made it to John and Aeryn's quarters and found it empty, she instantly went back out into the corridor. Without a glance at Nerri, she continued searching for any possible places her friends could've gone.

"Chiana, they could be anywhere!" Nerri growled irritably.

She spun on her heel to face him. "Is there…is there a back door outta this building?"

"Yes," Nerri said slowly. "But they'd have to be crazy to run out on their own!"

"Show me."

"Sister –"

"SHOW ME, NERRI!"

He stared at her, momentarily stunned. Then he set his jaw tight and said through clamped teeth, in a low voice, "All right, follow me."

Nerri lead her back out into the previously crowded hallway, which was now littered with dead bodies and wounded people. The noises of battle were not so loud anymore, and there was a high-pitched rumble over head that sounded like engines.

They finally stepped out a small and battered back door into one of the many abandoned alleyways. Chiana frantically looked around, shifting her feet nervously and breathing hard. After a few minutes of glancing around, she rushed down one end of the alleyway, hurrying around piles of debris and holding up her pulse pistol, ready for anything.

"Chiana!" Nerri rushed after her.

Chiana came to an intersection and one glance down the alley to her left made her breath snag in her chest. Aeryn was lying unconscious on the ground. Breathing even heavier with fear, Chiana bolted over to Aeryn, Nerri close behind her.

"Aeryn?" Chiana gently shook her. "_Aeryn!_"

Aeryn shifted, but did not waken.

"She's been hit with an Establishment stun blaster," Nerri stated as he studied Aeryn. He knelt down for a closer look at her. "It may be difficult to wake her."

"Well we've gotta!" Chiana looked back at Aeryn. "Wake up, Aeryn!" she said loudly, shaking Aeryn roughly.

"Chiana, I don't think – "

"Wake UP!"

She backhanded Aeryn hard across the face, and Aeryn awoke with a jolt, her eyes snapping open.

"Chiana," Aeryn gasped lightly. She sat up and looked around, a bit dazed. "What…where's John?" A look of utter fear had crossed her face.

"I…I don't know," Chiana answered. "I haven't been able to find him, and he's not answering his comms. Wasn't he with you?"

Aeryn instantly sprang to her feet and began looking around frantically. "John?" she called into the empty streets, her voice echoing.

Nerri's comms crackled and Milac's voice came through. "_Sir?_"

"Yes, Milac?" Nerri replied.

"_The Establishment soldiers have retreated back to their ships and they're leaving_," Milac said.

Chiana whirled around to face her brother. "W-why would they leave?"

Aeryn stood completely frozen, her hands clenched into tight fists, and her eyes burning fiercely with tears. She lifted her head to look up at the dark sky, strong anger rising quickly inside her.

**John stood in the** middle of a drop ship with his hands tightly cuffed, and he was surrounded by Establishment soldiers. The Nebari kept looking at him, snickering and murmuring to each other. A cold sweat had broken out on his forehead and the knot in his stomach was twisting tighter by the second. John did admit to himself that he had the crap scared out of him right now, being surrounded by all these drugged up, super soldiers. Not only that, but he was terrified of what lay ahead of him.

All too soon he felt the ship slowing down and the soldiers were getting to their feet, preparing to get off. The soldier that had brought John on board grabbed him roughly by the arm and pulled him towards one of the doors.

The ship jolted slightly with landing, and six doors opened and lowered down as ramps for them to unload. John was tugged along with the crowd down the ramp. As he walked out, he saw the other drop ships unloading.

Nearly every Nebari looked at him at least once, and John tried to keep his face and composure calm and confident. He didn't know how he was doing at it, but he felt like he was failing miserably.

The soldiers were flooding out of the hangar through multiple doorways, stripping off their armor along the way and talking like they had just gone out for the morning walk. But John was not lead in the same direction, much to his great relief.

But a new and stronger fear clenched in his stomach as he was lead up to three more Nebari, one of which he recognized easily as Vayarlla. She smiled at him and his insides churned.

"Hello, my dear John Crichton," she greeted slowly, her gaze sharp and concentrated hard on him. "I knew we'd be meeting again," she said as her smile widened.

John said nothing, keeping his mouth closed so tight his jaw muscles were flexing. His eyes were dark as he kept his steady gaze on her, never once blinking.

Vayarlla cocked her head to the side, still smiling. "What's the matter, Johnny dear? Aren't you happy to be back home?"

"Cut the friendly talk, Vayarlla," John said venomously. "I know what you want. Let's get it over with."

She laughed softly at him, shaking her head slightly. "I had forgotten how amusing you are." Her smile stretched wider and she lifted her chin into the air. "My superior has been so very anxious to meet you in person. Let's not keep him waiting, shall we?"

Stepping forward, she firmly wrapped her arm around his waist and held him close against her. The two Nebari soldiers that were with her fell into step close behind them. And as Vayarlla lead John to an elevator a short distance away, she leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "It is good to have you back, my dear John Crichton. I have missed you _so_ much."

**"This is absolutely unacceptable!"** Grayza spat viciously. "How could any of you possibly let this happen?"

"We were under _attack!_" Nerri reminded her with a snarl. "We had Establishment soldiers flooding our camp, slaughtering people, and everyone was in a panic! I can't keep Crichton under a constant watch and it was nearly impossible to single him out in all the - "

Grayza whirled to glare at him. "He's the only male here that's not a Nebari!" she snarled. "And I don't care how bad the attack was, Nerri! Crichton is the most important person on this planet! He is our only chance of winning this war!"

Then she spun to glower at Aeryn. "And you, Officer Sun, I expected you to be inseparable from Crichton!"

"Let's put _you_ against an Establishment super soldier and see how you fair," Aeryn said in a calm, flat tone.

Grayza looked back and forth between the two. "I don't think either of you realize how critical this is. You've just let the most powerful weapon in the galaxy fall into the hands of the Establishment! Any time now, they will attack."

Chiana spoke up, her voice shaking slightly. "T-then let's go save him! Or...or try to make an agreement with them."

"The Establishment headquarters is highly impenetrable, heavily guarded and extremely well armed," Nerri explained. "It would be impossible to attempt a rescue."

"And talking to them will accomplish _nothing_," Grayza said. "They have ultimate power in their hands. They're not going to let it go."

"So what do we do, then?" Aeryn asked, her voice the same flat tone.

Grayza looked deeply angry and disappointed. "We have no choice," she turned to Nerri. "Send word to one of your spies in the Establishment, and give them orders to assassinate Crichton."

"_Absolutely not!_" Aeryn snapped coldly, and all eyes went on her. "You are _not_ killing John!"

"Officer Sun, we have no other choice!" Grayza growled. "If we do not, millions will be killed and the galaxy will be enslaved by the Establishment!"

Aeryn's eyes turned ice cold. "That won't happen. He can't do it anymore."

A heavy silence befell the room.

Then Grayza split the silence with a sharp tone. "What the frell are you talking about?"

"John can no longer make the wormhole weapon," Aeryn repeated firmly.

Grayza looked infuriated. "I don't know what you think you gain from this, Officer Sun, but-"

"I-it's true," Chiana interrupted. "It's true. C-Crichton can't do it, h-he hasn't been able to s-since he stopped it during the l-last war." She shook her head and said, "He can't do it anymore."

"What do you mean he can't do it?" Grayza asked firmly, now glowering at Chiana.

"When he stopped the wormhole weapon at the end of the war with the Scarrans," Aeryn began, "it was too much of a strain on his brain, and it ripped all wormhole knowledge from his mind." She swallowed hard and her eyes just slightly glossed over. "He barely survived."

The room went into another tense silence, everyone frozen and still staring at Aeryn.

Grayza stood up straight and said, "Do you mean to tell me that Crichton has been useless this entire time?"

"He...he's not useless!" Chiana said loudly. "All you wanted was a bluff, a threat! Crichton can still do that!"

"The threat is completely pointless if the Establishment finds out that he can't do it!" Grayza snarled.

"You don't even know if they _believed_ the threat!" Chiana shrieked.

Grayza snapped her head back in Aeryn's direction and glared at her again. "That was a mistake and a waste of time that may lose us this war."

Aeryn met Grayza's gaze without flinching. "That is your mistake, not mine, and not John's."

Chiana shrieked loudly in agreement.

"Look, I don't want to see the Establishment running the galaxy anymore than you do," Aeryn said. "But if your entire strategy consists of coercing one man to win the war for you, then you deserve to lose!"

Grayza and Aeryn glared at each other in complete silence.

"So what do we do about Crichton?" Nerri asked quietly.

"We do nothing," Grayza said in a low growl. "Crichton no longer has any value to us. And now that we know the Establishment has no great advantage, we have some hope of wining this war."

She glared at Aeryn one last time, then spun around on her heel and swiftly left the room.

Aeryn, Chiana and Nerri stood in uncomfortable silence for a moment before Nerri headed for the door.

"I have duties to attend to."

Chiana hurried toward him. "Nerri, look I - "

He spun to face her, his eyes sharp and his mouth set in a grim frown. "I have work to do, Chiana," he said in a low growl. Then he quickly left.

Chiana stood staring at the doorway, looking somewhat hurt and stunned. "Frell," she whispered to herself.

Then she turned back around to face Aeryn, who hadn't moved at all.

"Aeryn, I - " But she went silent, not knowing what to say. Then after licking her lips, she said, "Aeryn, what...what are we gonna do?"

"We're going to do what we always do," Aeryn replied, her voice still flat. "We are going to do everything we can to get John back."

**They turned into another** crowded corridor, and the Nebari stepped hurriedly aside to let them pass. There were no whispers or murmurs, but complete silence. All eyes were on John, but he paid no attention to them. He had his mind set on what was happening to him, what could and most likely would happen to him, and how he could possibly get out of this situation.

Vayarlla tightened her arm around his waist as they approached a closed door. "Now Johnny dear, try to keep your manners, won't you? Colonel Kythe is a member of the Nebari Council, the highest in our government. He will be deciding your fate."

"Oh, I pretty much know my options," John said bitterly. "Either I give you guys the wormhole weapon, or you're gonna mind cleanse me and make me use it anyway."

She chuckled. "Be glad that we are giving you the option of helping us willingly. It would be much easier to just go ahead and mind cleanse you first."

"Mind screwing me isn't gonna get you anything," he said firmly. "I already told you before, I can't make the wormhole weapon anymore."

Vayarlla only laughed softly as the door before them opened and they stepped inside.

The bustling noise inside the room immediately fell silent and every Nebari in the room was staring at John.

"Get back to work!" a rough voice barked, and everyone instantly returned to their duties.

Vayarlla removed her arm from around John's waist and held her hands behind her hand as she stood up straight with her chin lifted proudly.

A Nebari was approaching them, and John recognized his scarred face: Colonel Kythe. He was even scarier up close and personal.

He came to a halt a couple paces in front of John and his mouth slowly twisted into a smile. "John Crichton, I have been wanting to meet you in person."

"Yeah, that's what the Borg Queen here told me," John said with a slight tilt of his head toward Vayarlla.

Kythe glanced briefly at Vayarlla before speaking. "Let's get to the point, shall we?" he said while staring hard at John. "I'm sure you know why you're here."

"Same reason everybody else is after me," John replied.

"You have two choices, Crichton," Kythe said, still smiling slightly. "Either you help us yourself and give us the wormhole weapon, or we'll mind cleanse and make you do it anyway."

"Even if I wanted to help you, I can't. And mind cleansing me won't change that."

Kythe chuckled. "And what makes you think that?"

John stared at Kythe straight in the eye. "Because I can't do it anymore."

Vayarlla shook her head. "My dear John, stop telling silly lies. They will get you nothing."

"It's _not_ a lie!" John said angrily at her. "I'm telling you the truth!"

"Then why did you threaten to use it against us?" Kythe asked, his eyes narrow and sharp.

"It's called a bluff," John said with heavy sarcasm, looking back at Kythe. "The Peacekeepers and the Resistance wanted to scare the crap out of you by threatening to use it."

"If what you say is true," Vayarlla began, slowly walking around John. "Then how is it that you can no longer do it? Do you no longer have the proper equipment?"

"It doesn't work like that," John growled through gritted teeth.

"Explain yourself," Kythe ordered in a growl.

John hesitated, not sure how to explain it. He couldn't tell them about Einstein and the Ancients, they'd never believe him.

"I'd have to have the right knowledge about wormholes," John began. "Equations, coordinates - I had all that before, but I don't now."

"And just what do you mean by that, my dear John?" Vayarlla asked as she came to a stop beside Kythe. "Surely you didn't _forget_."

John sent a glare at her before continuing. "After I used the wormhole weapon, and both the Peacekeepers and the Scarrans agreed to peace, I had to stop the wormhole."

Kythe and Vayarlla looked confused, but John went on.

"Stopping it nearly killed me and it fried my brain, erasing any wormhole knowledge that I had."

There was a brief silence before Kythe snarled. "You expect me to believe _that?_"

Vayarlla was glaring at John with narrow, dark eyes. "You're only wasting time telling such pathetic lies, my dear John."

"It's _not_ a lie!" John spat. "And if you mind cleanse me, I'll tell you the same thing!" He lowered his voice to a mumble. "Or something close to it."

Kythe scowled at John and then turned to the Nebari soldiers that had accompanied John and Vayarlla in. "Get him out of here!"

They roughly grabbed John by his arms and quickly pulled him toward the door. John said nothing, knowing that it wouldn't make any difference. He didn't even struggle or try to put up a fight. He felt suddenly drained of hope and energy.

Once he was removed from the room and the door slid closed again, Vayarlla turned to Kythe.

"Should I cleanse him?" she asked, her eyes glistening with eagerness.

"No," Kythe answered. "No, I have a better idea." He looked over at her, wearing a small smile of amusement. "I have an opportunity for you to redeem yourself."

**When Chiana stepped into** the small, crowded room, she immediately spotted Nerri. He was speaking with Milac and they were both looking at a large transparency laid out on a table.

She hastily made her way over to him, and when Milac saw her, he instantly stopped talking. Nerri looked up to see why Milac had stopped, and when he saw Chiana, a look of irritation quickly flashed across his face.

"What is it, sister?"

"I...I just wanna talk to you," she replied.

"I'm very busy at the moment, Chiana, is this important?"

She hesitated and swallowed hard before answering. "Yes. It...it is to me."

Nerri turned to Milac, whispered a few orders, and once Milac departed, Nerri turned back to his sister.

"All right Chiana, what is this about?"

"Look, I...I know you're mad at me for not telling you about Crichton, that he can't do the wormhole thing anymore." Her voice was shaking slightly with nervousness.

"I'm not angry at you, sister," Nerri said, his voice slightly softer. "I'm angry because of how much time and resources we wasted."

"I know." Chiana looked down at the ground and shifted her feet around. "Nerri, I...I know we haven't gotten to talk much, but...During the last few cycles I've...I've lost a lot of r-really good friends...f-family." Her eyes glossed over, but she blinked back the tears. "Crichton and Aeryn...th-they're all I have left. And Crichton, he's..." She lifted her head to meet her brother's gaze. "He's always been there for me. N-no matter what. I love him a-and I don't want anything t-to happen to him. I can't...I can't lose him." She shifted her feet again and stood up straighter. "I'm gonna do everything, and anything, to get him back. He'd do the same for me. S-so I...I'm asking you...for help."

Nerri stared at her in silence for a brief moment. Then he softly shook his head and said gently, "Chiana, saving anyone from the Establishment is impossible."

"W-we've done a lot of impossible things." She smiled slightly. "We always came through okay."

He shook his head again. "It's suicide, Chiana."

"N-not if we do it right," she said with a slight shake of her head.

"Chi, I don't know what you've been doing these last few cycles, but I assure you, this is like nothing else you've done. It's the Establishment's _base of operations_. I'm sorry, sister, but it cannot be done."

"B-but if we -"

"Chiana, I understand that Crichton is important to you and I am sorry for your loss, but it's just not possible! By now I'm sure they've discovered that he's useless and killed him. I'm sorry, but I can't help you. There is much preparation to be done before we leave here."

"We...we're leaving?"

"Yes, we have found a base that has room for us," Nerri answered. He looked up from the transparency back at Chiana. "We'll be leaving in a few arns. You should inform your ex-Peacekeeper friend."

Chiana nodded, keeping her eyes off him. "R-right. Yeah, I'll...I'll do that."

"Chiana," he spoke softly, and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah." She shrugged away from him, hesitated, then whirled around and hurried out of the room.

**With his hands on **his hips, John slowly paced back and forth across his cell. The room was about the same size as his and Aeryn's quarters out on the surface, with cement walls and floor. And it was rather dark.

They had thrown him in there about a half an arn ago, and ever since he had been waiting for them to come back. Any second now, they'd charge in and take him to the brain washing machine.

His thoughts wandered to Aeryn and he hoped that she was okay. That blast from that Nebari weapon looked painful, and it had knocked her out. Then a heavy depression and sorrow fell over him. He had been taken from Aeryn again. He knew that pained her, angered her, and he didn't want that. And he figured that he would never see her again. Or at least if he did, he'd be mind cleansed.

The hairs on the back of his neck rose. He'd rather be dead than forever mind cleansed. And he didn't want Aeryn to see him like that again.

Suddenly the door to his cell burst open and light spilled in. John stood still, waiting to be cuffed and taken out of the cell. Instead, two Nebari guards rushed in and slammed John against the wall, pinning him there.

"What the hell are you doing?" John shouted as he struggled against them. "Get off me! Let me go!"

A third Nebari approached him, holding a device that John did not like the looks of. The Nebari lifted it towards John's arm.

"Get that thing the hell away from me!" John growled.

But the Nebari ignored him, and jabbed the device into his arm. It punctured through John's leather coat and stabbed into his skin. Gritting his teeth, John squeezed his eyes shut and leaned his head back against the wall.

Finally the Nebari pulled the device back out of John's arm. His entire arm hurt, but the pain was slowly receding. The two guards released him and took a step back.

John stayed leaning against the wall, suddenly feeling very weak and clutching his arm. "Wha...what did you do?" he asked shakily.

The three Nebari only smiled before turning around and walking out of the cell.

Then Vayarlla stepped in, wearing her usual smile, and the cell door slammed shut behind her.

"Hello, Johnny dear."

"Vayarlla, what -" His knees buckled and he nearly collapsed, but he pulled himself back up before he touched the floor. "What did you do to me? What...what was that?"

"It was a drug," she said as she slowly stepped towards him. "There is no need to worry, my dear John, it will not harm you. It is only meant to weaken you."

John couldn't stand up anymore and his legs gave out. He swiftly slid down to the floor, his back pressed against the wall. Try as he might, he couldn't get himself to move.

"Why?" he asked as he looked up at her. "What's the point?"

"Well, because - " Vayarlla took the last few steps closer to him, placed her hands on his shoulders and slowly lowered herself into his lap. "I knew that you would not participate willingly." She smiled wider and lifted both hands to his hair.

John was now finding it very difficult to think clearly. "Participate in what? What are you gonna...what are you doing?"

Her wicked smile broadened even more as she slid one hand down his chest and stomach. "You'll see, Johnny dear. And very soon, you will understand."

John was too weak and delirious to stop her hand that was traveling down to the zipper of his pants.

* * *

Um...((Gulp)) Oh boy! ((Runs to hide)) 

Feedback please!

HRS


	9. Chapter IX

**Chapter IX**

"_The Contagion spreads quickly. It shows no outward symptoms. It merely...waits.."_

**-Varla: _A Clockwork Nebari_**

* * *

John lay on his back, sprawled out on the floor. He was still too weak to move much, but his mind was finally clearing. The drug was wearing off, but he knew he didn't have much time left.

His mind would cloud up again, very soon, but in a very different way. It would be another arn before he'd start to notice it, before the Contagion would start to work on his mind. It would be slow, and maybe even physically painful. That's what Vayarlla had said.

Thinking of her made him shudder. It was the same kind of shudder that Grayza always gave him. As heavily drugged as he had been, he remembered it more clearly than he would've liked. And no matter how he tried, he couldn't push the memory away.

Shuddering again, he slowly rolled onto his side and curled up, blocking off his stomach and groin. His eyes began to burn with tears as the last half arn played through his mind again, and he balled up tighter. He didn't want to see it anymore, he wanted it to leave him alone, if even just for a few minutes. So he thought of Aeryn.

He thought of everything he could about her: how stubborn she was, her hair, the way it smelled and felt; her skin, how gorgeous and soft it always was, how good she was at combat; her eyes; her brilliant smile that always put that funny feeling in his stomach; how it felt to kiss her; her voice and her laugh; how cute she was when she was mad or irritated with him; the way her gentle touches always made his heart skip, and how much he loved to watch her with their son D'Argo.

It worked like magic. Immediately the foul images and sensations left his mind and he was filled with Aeryn. But it didn't last long, and the vile memory quickly flooded back, overtaking his mind once again.

Another shudder ran down his body and the tears escaped from under his eyelids, slowly rolling down his face. Gritting his teeth, he hugged himself tighter and thought of Aeryn again. Time passed by slowly as he shivered on the ground, trying to fend off the dark memory with memories of his wife. It was mentally exhausting. He choked back a sob as more tears rolled down his face.

Suddenly he convulsed once. His eyes snapped open and he breathed hard with fear. Was it happening? Was the Contagion doing its work? He convulsed again, and along with it a spasm of pain surged throughout his body.

He had to fight it, try to stop it. Gritting his teeth again, he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to keep thinking of Aeryn. _Aeryn, Aeryn, Aeryn. _He repeated her name in his head, tried to say it out loud but he felt too weak. _True love conquers all. Aeryn, Aeryn, Aeryn._

He convulsed again and the pain was more intense this time. And then his body seemed to go completely numb, and it was difficult to think. It was like his mind was being fogged up, darkening. He clung to the image of Aeryn and her name as he was swallowed by the darkness.

Aeryn sat looking down at the transparencies that were spread out before her. They showed a very small portion of the Establishment headquarters. That was all Chiana could get her for the moment.

They had left the surface a day ago and settled down in this base. It was deep underground and bigger than the last one. Aeryn had been concerned about the Establishment tracking them as they moved from the surface to the base, but she hadn't said anything about it. Surely the Resistance had such things under control.

She shifted some of the transparencies around, but she was still not thinking about them. She was concentrated on John, wondering what was happening to him now. The memory of John being mind cleansed played through her mind and her hands began to tremble.

The door to her quarters opened, but Aeryn didn't move. There were feather-light footsteps behind her, and she knew it was Chiana.

"H-have you uh...have you come up with anything?" Chiana asked quietly.

Aeryn shook her head. "No," She quickly looked over all the spread out transparencies again. "This isn't enough. I need more."

"I'm working on it," Chiana said as she also looked down at the transparencies. "I'm not supposed to be gettin' these, s-so I have to be c-careful."

Aeryn made no reply and continued to stare hard at the transparencies.

Chiana licked her lips nervously before speaking. "Aeryn, what if...what if we get there and Crichton's...what if he's mind cleansed? I...I don't mean the temporary stuff, what if...what if they've infected him with the Contagion?"

Aeryn began to tremble again and her eyes stung with coming tears. But she blinked away the stinging and took in a deep breath. "I would rather he were dead than be one of the Establishment's tools." She swallowed and when she spoke again, her voice was trembling slightly. "I know John would want the same."

Chiana stared at Aeryn with a parted mouth and an expression of fear. "S-so if he's permanently mind frelled when we get there...you're gonna kill him?"

"We'll bring him back here first," Aeryn said. "We'll see if there's any hope of returning him to normal. And if there's not..."

Her eyes burned strongly and glossed over.

Chiana took a step back, nearly teary-eyed herself. "I uh...I...I'll go a-and try get m-more of those for you," she said shakily, nodding towards the transparencies. She turned and hurriedly left the room.

Aeryn watched the young Nebari leave, then looked back at the transparencies. Her stomach suddenly twisted into a hard knot and she bit down on her lip. Part of her just wanted to charge in to the Establishment and surrender herself, anything to be with John. Even if they were both mind cleansed. But she knew that John would not want her to do that.

Pushing away her rising emotions and the horrible images flashing through her mind, she went back to studying the transparencies.

John was casually pacing around his cell and whistling when they came to see him again. This was their third time visiting him, and they always scanned his body, testing to see if he was fully converted.

He faced the nurse with a smile, feeling very proud of himself.

"I'm ready now," he announced.

The nurse sneered at him. "We'll see."

She stepped up to him and held the small scanning instrument up to his forehead. John remained still, smiling and waiting patiently. The nurse brought the scanner down, and after studying it for a brief moment, she smiled. Without saying a word or glancing at him, she whirled around and left.

John continued his whistling and pacing. He had missed this feeling of joy and contentment. And he felt so privileged that they had given it to him permanently this time. He didn't know why he had been so afraid of it, why he had tried so desperately to fight it. He couldn't be happier.

A few minutes later, the door opened again and this time it was Kythe and Vayarlla who stepped in. Vayarlla looked utterly pleased with herself, and her smile widened slightly as her eyes rested on John. Kythe was also smiling smugly, looking very pleased.

"How do you feel, Crichton?" Kythe asked.

"Wonderful. Never better," John replied happily. "I'm ready to roll and help serve in the greater good."

Kythe studied him in silence for a moment before saying, "You did good, Vayarlla."

Her smile twisted into a truly pleased grin and her dark eyes sparkled. "Yes...we had a very good time, didn't we, my dear John?"

At first John looked a bit unsure, but then he smiled faintly and nodded.

"Crichton," Kythe said as he turned to face John again. "Are you going to give us the wormhole weapon now?"

John's smile died and he worked his jaw for a moment in silence. "I was telling you the truth before. I can't do it anymore."

A heavy silence fell and both Nebari kept their hard gazes on John.

Finally Kythe turned to Vayarlla, looking angry.

"Are you sure he's been fully cleansed?"

Vayarlla nodded, her eyebrows furrowed in bafflement. "Yes, according to our scan..."

"This isn't possible!" Kythe growled as he looked back at John. "It must not have worked."

"Yeah it did," John cut in. "I've never felt so content - except when I was cleansed before of course. Look, I swear, I'm completely loyal to the Establishment and the greater good. I just..." He shook his head, looking ashamed of himself. "I can't make the wormhole weapon anymore."

Vayarlla walked over to him and leaned in close, studying John's face carefully with sharp eyes. After a moment, she stepped back and announced, "He's telling the truth."

"You're certain?" Kythe asked as he stepped up next to her, studying John himself.

"Positive," she answered with a nod.

Kythe looked as though he didn't know whether to be outraged or relieved.

John was starting to get nervous. He wanted so desperately to help them and their cause.

"What should we do?" Vayarlla asked quietly.

"Kill him," Kythe snarled before spinning around on his heel to leave.

John's stomach dropped and he felt like all his dreams had been dashed.

"Kythe," Vayarlla called after him. "He may still be of use to us."

Kythe growled impatiently as he turned to face her. "How can he _possibly_ be of any use to us?"

Vayarlla looked back at John and smiled. "You want to help us, don't you, Johnny dear? Help to make the universe a peaceful place?"

John nodded eagerly. "Yes."

She reached up and gently touched his face, smiling at him. "Then you can spy for us."

"_What?_" Kythe snapped.

"Spy on who?" John asked, his eyes glistening with excitement.

"Vayarlla," Kythe began in a deep growl. "What the frell are you talking about?"

She turned back around to face Kythe. "We can send him back to the Resistance to spy for us."

John's face lit up, but Kythe scowled.

"_No._"

Vayarlla cocked her head slightly to the side. "But it's for the greater good, Kythe."

Kythe quickly glanced at John, his eyes cold with anger and impatience. "How?"

"He can find out what their plans are, what their next move will be," she explained. "And he can find the major weakness in the Resistance. The key to our victory."

"And you really think he can do all that?" Kythe asked as he shifted his glare to John.

Vayarlla smiled broadly and lifted her chin high. "Anything can be done when it is for the greater good."

Kythe looked again at John, frowning with disapproval and disgust. Finally he scowled at John and spat, "_Fine!_" as he turned to leave.

Vayarlla smiled smugly at John and wrapped her arm around his waist. "Come, my dear John. We must prepare you for your mission."

Letting out a heavy sigh of anger and frustration, Aeryn roughly pushed the transparencies out of the way, causing them to scatter. She stood with her hands clenched, fuming, as she glared at the messy pile of maps. Spinning on her heel, she threw herself down on the bed.

It seemed so frelling impossible. Even with more transparencies to complete the layout of the Establishment headquarters, it was so frelling impossible. She had been bent over them for arns now, looking them over again and again, viewing every single possibility. The idea of turning herself over to the Establishment and then finding John and breaking out had crossed her mind. But if he was mind cleansed, he wouldn't want to come. And they could cleanse her before she would even get to see him.

She bit down hard on her lip and tears welled in her eyes. Her heart pounded with desperation and longing, and she tightly clutched the sheets.

She tried to imagine him with her now, laying next to her, gazing at her with soft, blue eyes, slowly running his fingers over her face and through her hair. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried so desperately to feel his warm fingertips, but there was nothing. Her tears burned fiercely under her eyelids and she clutched the sheets tighter.

Her mind was a blurred swirl of memories and images of John. She tried to remember so much at once that she couldn't get a good hold on any of it. Her chest tightened and she let out a single sob into the pillow.

She should have never let him become part of this war. She should have tied him up and locked him their quarters and told Pilot to starburst. Then none of this would have ever happened. John would have never been taken and mind cleansed, he would have never been put in the aurora chair, they would have never have had to leave D'Argo up on the command carrier in Grayza's hands, and John wouldn't have been taken from her a second time.

The tears slowly slid down her face as she opened her eyes. She let go of the sheets and spread her palm out flat on the bed. It was cold. John had always kept their bed warm; his warmth was always so soothing and loving. She pressed her hand firmly into the bed and concentrated hard on the memory of his warmth in an attempt to feel it again. But again, she felt nothing. There was only the coldness of the sheets.

Aeryn didn't move when she heard the door to her quarters slide open.

"Aeryn?"

It was Chiana.

"What, Chiana?" Her voice was trembling and heavy with tears.

There was a short silence before Chiana spoke. "Um, Nerri wants t-to see us."

"Why?"

"I...I dunno. All he said was that it's really important."

Aeryn remained still and silent for a moment, then she sat up. "Then we shouldn't keep him waiting." She hastily wiped away her tears and set her expression back to stone.

Chiana was watching Aeryn with a worried look, but she said nothing about her concerns. "Okay, let's go."

They walked out of the room and started on their way up to the command center. They made it there quickly and Aeryn stepped past Chiana to walk in first.

When they entered, a few Nebari looked up at them briefly and then returned to their work. Aeryn spotted Nerri, who hadn't noticed their entrance, and swiftly walked over to him. He looked up from his conversation with another Nebari as they approached.

"What's this about?" Aeryn asked in a flat tone.

"We're picking up readings of a small Establishment vessel in the area where we had set up our camp," Nerri explained. "It landed there a few hundred microts ago."

Aeryn kept her hard and steady gaze on him, waiting for him to get to the point.

He continued on. "We picked up a single life sign on board the vessel, but it doesn't match anything in our database. It is, however, very similar to Sebacean."

Aeryn's lips parted and her firm expression slowly melted away.

"Crichton..." Chiana whispered, hope and fear laced in her voice.

"We believe so," said Nerri.

"I'm going up there," Aeryn announced, and she whirled around to leave.

"I'm coming with you!" Chiana called as she bounced after Aeryn.

Nerri yelled something at them about how it could be a trap, but Aeryn wasn't listening.

John kicked a small piece of rubble and watched it bounce across the ground. He tapped his fingers on Winona, which was strapped back on his thigh. He glanced around as the strong wind whipped at him.

He remembered standing out here with Aeryn, so disturbed by the sight of the planet and by his experience being mind cleansed. He smirked at how pathetic he had been. This place was amazing, and being cleansed was the highest sense of joy and contentment.

He stopped walking to kick another piece of concrete. How much longer would he have to wait? Surely the Resistance noticed him by now. He knew they were down there somewhere, and so was Aeryn. But he had to wait up here on the surface, because even though the Establishment knew exactly where this Resistance base was, they didn't know how to get to it without blowing a hole the size of Texas in the ground.

John continued his casual stride and reviewed everything Vayarlla had told him in his head. She had told him to act normal, like he had been before he was cleansed. This made him uncomfortable, but he knew it was for the greater good. She had also told him not to have intercourse with anyone, as he would infect whoever he was with and it would lead to him. That wasn't a problem at all; he wasn't planning on recreating with anybody any time soon. Although he figured that Aeryn might pose a problem. But he'd deal with that if it came up. Vayarlla had also made him swallow a pill that apparently would mask the Contagion within him so that it would not register on any of the Resistance's scanners. The pill would only work once, however. After twelves arns, his digestive system would dissolve it.

He stopped abruptly and went completely still, and his hand had instantly gone to Winona. There were footsteps, more than one pair, very close by.

_Okay John, take it easy, _he told himself. _It's probably just the Resistance boys finally here to pick you up._

Letting out a slow breath, he released his hold on Winona.

There were quiet voices with the footsteps now. And one them sounded like...

"Aeryn?" he called out.

The footsteps and voices instantly stopped. There was a brief silence before he heard her voice, calling out to him in response.

"John?"

_Remember John, act normal._

"Oh God, Baby, it's so good to hear your voice." He said it with as much relief and love as he could. He glanced around. "Where are you?"

He heard her hurrying footsteps and he turned in the direction they were coming from. Aeryn appeared from around the corner, holding her pulse pistol and gazing at him with an expression that made his insides churn.

John smiled at her crookedly. "Aeryn..." He choked himself off and gave her what he hoped was a tortured expression. He even got himself to force small tears into his eyes.

She took a couple cautious steps toward him, still holding her pulse pistol at her side. John walked more urgently up to her, shaking his head softly.

"God...I thought I'd never see you again." He made his hand tremble slightly as he touched her face.

He was beginning to worry that his act wasn't working, as she only stared at him with a furrowed brow and sharp eyes. But then, dropping her pulse pistol, she grabbed hold of his jacket collar in both hands and roughly pulled him in for a hard, deep kiss. He responded passionately and wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her closer.

He _had _missed her, and he still loved her so much. And he wanted so badly for her to understand, to see things clearly. He didn't want her to live her life so violently and deprived of the wonderful feeling of being cleansed. He wanted her to be at his side in serving the greater good. And he deeply hoped that someday soon, she would.

Removing his hands from her waist, he cupped her face and deepened the kiss, pushing his tongue hard against hers. And when they finally pulled back, both breathless, he kept his hands on her face and rested his forehead against hers.

After a moment of catching their breath, Aeryn spoke, her voice quivering with emotion.

"John, how...how did you get away? How did you escape?"

This was the one thing Vayarlla hadn't helped him with. He had come up with a cover story while on his way out here. He just hoped that it was believable enough.

"I didn't escape," he answered quietly. "They let me go."

Aeryn pulled back just enough to look at him, her brow furrowed with confusion. "Why?"

"Well it took me a while to convince 'em that I can't make the wormhole weapon anymore. But once it finally got through to them, they had no use for me. So they let me go."

She stared at him with shock. "I...I'm surprised they didn't kill you. And they...they just let you take one of their ships?"

John smiled slightly. "No, that I had to get myself."

Aeryn smiled faintly and reached up to gently touch his face. After a short period of studying him, she leaned in to kiss him again, pressing her body hard against his.

"Crichton!"

They broke apart at hearing Chiana's excited voice.

She ran up and threw herself at him. He forced out a laugh as he stumbled back a couple steps. She planet a firm kiss on his lips and then hugged him tightly again. When she finally released him, she smiled up at him widely.

"I was frelling worried about you, old man! Did those fekkiks hurt you at all?"

John shook his head. "Naw Pip, I'm fine."

He was extremely relieved and pleased with himself that this was working. _So far so good. Just don't screw it up._

The entire trip down, Aeryn had held firmly onto his hand, and not once did she let go. He hadn't really thought about how worried she must've been while he was gone. He had been too excited about being cleansed and helping the Establishment again. Because of course, the greater good was always top priority.

The Resistance soldiers that had accompanied Aeryn and Chiana to the surface kept looking at him with uncertainty. John hoped that they hadn't figured out he was cleansed. He knew they had more experience with that than Aeryn and Chiana.

John wasn't sure how long it took, but it seemed like eternity before they finally reached the base. Nerri was waiting for them at the entrance.

Chiana rushed up to her brother excitedly. "Nerri! It _was_ Crichton! He's okay!"

But Nerri did not share his sister's excitement. His dark, cold eyes were set hard on John. "Yes, I see that sister. Looks can be deceiving, however."

He nodded towards the soldiers and they all lifted their weapons and aimed them at John.

John didn't hesitate to put on a display of anger, as he knew that's what his old self would've done. "What the hell is going on?" he snapped as he looked uncomfortably at the weapons pointed at him.

"Nerri," Aeryn started in a low, angry growl. Her hand was already on her pulse pistol. "Tell them to put their weapons down - _now_."

"I'm sorry, Officer Sun, but it's regulations," Nerri said, never once taking his eyes off John.

"What, it's regulations to greet people by having five guns pointed at them?" John growled.

He felt his behavior was very inappropriate, but he knew that it was necessary. He was doing this for the greater good, after all.. And in order to keep his cover, he had to keep acting like he had before he was cleansed.

"Nerri," Chiana stepped up to him, breathing hard with panic. "What's going on? Why...why are you doing this?"

"He was in the hands of the Establishment for two solar days. He may be infected with the Contagion," Nerri explained. "He is to be escorted to the medical facility for a scan."

Aeryn looked at John with a mixed expression of worry and anger. He responded with what he hoped was an irritated look.

"All right, fine," John sighed. "Let's get the AIDs testing over with."

Chiana turned to her brother. "Nerri, if he was cleansed, he would fight against being tested for infection."

Nerri looked at her, greatly irritated. "Chiana, it's just a simple scan. Nothing more. No harm will come to him."

Nerri turned to the soldiers and ordered them to come with him to the medical facility. Aeryn and Chiana stayed protectively on either side of John as the soldiers surrounded them, holding their weapons ready.

Aeryn reached for John's hand again and their fingers intertwined. He looked over at her and saw the concerned and disappointed look on her face. He knew that this was angering her, and that she probably wanted him to herself right now.

But John was finding all this to be _very_ amusing. He fought back a smile, knowing that their test results would be negative, and they would never know that he was indeed cleansed.

Standing with her arms crossed and a firm expression on her face, Aeryn watched intently from a distance. They wouldn't let her stay close to John while they scanned him and ran their tests, and it angered her to no end. John seemed to be only slightly irritated, she was sure he was holding a lot back. He probably wanted a shower and some sleep, to be at peace for a while and away from any Nebari.

Chiana came up beside her and watched John for a while as well. "Are you worried that he's infected?" she asked suddenly, sounding scared and nervous.

"No," Aeryn answered firmly. "I would know if he was."

Chiana looked at Aeryn, then back at John. "It...it doesn't work like that, Aeryn."

"Like what?"

"The Contagion, it...it takes time," Chiana began. "When someone's in-infected, it doesn't immediately take over their mind. I mean, it usually takes arns, sometimes days before it starts t-to change them."

"So you're saying that it could be in John and he doesn't even know it?" Aeryn asked with panic, now looking at Chiana.

"Yeah...but, he'd know if he got frelled by any tralks over at the Establishment."

Aeryn stared at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

Chiana looked like she regretted saying that. "Well...th-that's how th-the Contagion is transferred. Through...through sex."

Aeryn looked back at John and asked quietly, "Does John know that?"

"Yeah, he knows," Chiana answered with a nod. "We...we talked about it once."

"But these scans, they'll tell us if he's infected?" Aeryn asked shakily.

Chiana nodded again. "Yeah."

"And is there a way to cure it?"

"I...I don't know," Chiana replied with a shake of her head. "I mean, last time I was in the Known Territories there wasn't. But, th-that was a...a long time ago. They m-might have a cure now."

Aeryn turned to watch John again, her heart pounding with fear.

John sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He was relieved that the scans and tests were over, they had taken far too long and he didn't like people poking and prodding at his body.

He looked up and smiled at Aeryn, who was approaching him. She smiled back and her eyes sparkled.

"So, do they know if I have AIDs yet?" he asked cheerfully.

He already knew the answer. Not just because of the pill he had taken, but the glowing look of relief on Aeryn's face gave it away.

She nodded. "You're clear."

"Good." He lifted a hand to rub at one of his eyes. "I wanna get outta here. I'm damn tired."

"Come on," Aeryn said softly as she took a hold of his hand. "I'll take you to our room."

He happily followed her.

Once they were safely inside their quarters and the door slid shut, he turned to face Aeryn. He knew how she was feeling right now, and his old self wouldn't let that pass. He'd be apologizing, holding her, comforting her, telling her he loved her, assuring her that he was okay. So that's what he'd do now.

She stood there staring at him as if she couldn't believe he was there. She shook her head. "I wasn't expecting it to be so easy," she said shakily as tears built up in her eyes.

"What was easy?" he asked quietly.

"Getting you back," she answered. "Chiana and I...we were going to try and save you."

He gazed at her a bit stunned. He should have expected that. Of course Aeryn wouldn't give up on him so quickly.

John shook his head. "Babe, that's sweet, but I'm glad that you didn't." He lifted his hand to her face, gently stroking her cheek. "They would've caught you and mind cleansed you. And that...God, that would've killed me."

But really, he wished that had happened. Then she would know the magnificence of being cleansed, and she'd be serving for the greater good with him.

Her tears finally escaped from her eyes and slowly streamed down her face. She leaned into him, burying her face in his neck and wrapping her arms tightly around him. She began to tremble against him and he hugged her tighter.

"Aeryn, it's okay," he whispered. "I'm here. I'm here now, it's okay."

What he really wanted to do was tell her that he'd never been happier and how good he felt. He wanted to tell her how wonderful it was, and that she would love it too. He wanted to convince her that helping the Establishment and their cause was the right thing to do. But he couldn't, and he knew she wouldn't listen anyways.

"John..." Aeryn murmured into his neck. "I...I was so afraid...so scared that I'd lost you."

He tightened his hold on her and lifted one hand to burry it in her hair. "I know Baby, I'm so sorry."

Lifting her head from his neck, she pushed her mouth against his in a firm but brief kiss.

"I love you so much, John," she whispered against his mouth. "So frelling much."

John brought his other hand up to her hair and pulled her back enough to look in her eyes. "I love you too, Aeryn."

She stared at him, looking a little bit disappointed. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, making her look hurt and confused.

His stomach knotted up with fear that he had done something wrong. He would've said that he loved her, so what was the problem?

"Aeryn, what's the matter?" He put as much loving concern as he could into his voice.

Aeryn hesitated a second before shaking her head and saying, "Nothing. It's nothing. I just..." She lifted a hand to stroke his hair. "I've nearly lost you far too many times in this frelling war."

His stomach loosened with relief.

"Yeah, it seems to be a bad habit that I've developed," he said lightly.

"Don't joke about it, John," Aeryn said sternly. "It's not funny."

"I know, Aeryn. I'm sorry." He gently ran the backs of his fingers along her jaw, then leaned in to kiss her softly.

When they pulled back, Aeryn smiled at him. "Now go and take a shower. I'll go get you some food."

John raised his eyebrows. "You don't wanna join me?"

_Ah crap, bad move._ What if she said yes?

She smiled at him seductively and bit her lip. "Later. You need to rest."

"Yeah, I do," he agreed.

He actually was really tired. And he was sure he smelled bad, it's been at least a couple days since he showered.

"I'll be back shortly," Aeryn said as she headed for the door.

Once she was gone, John smiled to himself, proud that things were going well. For most of the scans he was finding it all to be very funny and amusing, until it dragged on too long and started to get a bit irritating. But so far he had everyone convinced he wasn't cleansed, and things were going well. _Keep it up, John. Don't screw things up._

Once Aeryn was out in the corridor, she waled briskly around the corner and spoke into her comms. "Chiana?"

"_Yeah Aeryn?_" came Chiana's voice.

"I need to talk to you - now. It's important."

"_O-okay...Is it a-about Crichton?_"

Aeryn took a deep breath to keep calm and said quietly, "Yes."

There was a pause before Chiana responded. "_Okay, um...m-meet me in my q-quarters._"

Her comms clicked as the channel turned off. Aeryn glanced back around the corner at the door to her room, then she headed off for Chiana's quarters.

She walked swiftly and powerful. Her heart began to hammer and her stomach twisted into a tight knot.

She hadn't noticed it before; she must've been too happy to have John back. But she could feel it in his kiss, see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice: something was different. It wasn't...it wasn't John. He had said sweet things, kissed her, but it just felt so...empty. There was no love in any of it. And it scared her greatly.

As soon as she walked into Chiana's quarters, the young Nebari rushed up to her in a panic.

"What's wrong with Crichton? Is he okay? Did the Establishment frellnicks hurt him? What's going on, Aeryn?"

"Chiana, stop," Aeryn ordered.

She turned around, typed in the code to lock the door, then turned back to face Chiana again.

Aeryn took a deep breath and swallowed. "I think...I think that John is mind cleansed."

Chiana stared at her in silence, her worried expression unchanged. Then with a cock of her head, she asked, "What? Aeryn, we already scanned him - "

"I know, Chiana," Aeryn interrupted firmly. "But either the scans were wrong, or it's not the Contagion. But there is something wrong with him!"

"H-how can you tell? I mean...what...what happened?" She stared at Aeryn, her eyes filled with fear.

Aeryn ran her tongue over her lips, then shook her head. "I can't really explain it, Chiana. I can just tell. He's not...he's not normal. He's...different."

"Well Aeryn, I'm sure he's r-really tired and d-disturbed by what happened - "

"No Chiana, it's not that!" Aeryn hissed, frustrated. She sighed and wiped her hand over her eyes. She didn't meet Chiana's gaze when she next spoke, her voice quiet. "There's no warmth in him, I can see it in his eyes, hear it in his voice. He says things but he doesn't mean them." She shook her head and looked up at Chiana again. "Like I said, I can't really explain it, I just know. Something's wrong with him."

Chiana shifted uncomfortably, now breathing open-mouthed and looking panicked. "Well what...what d'you think we should do?"

"I think it would be best to contain him and find out what's wrong with him."

"Aeryn...are you sure about this? I mean...wh-what if you're wrong, what i-if he's fine? You...you could really hurt him."

Aeryn thought this over in brief silence.. "I'm fairly certain he's not fine. But if he is...he'll understand."

Chiana looked uncertain and uncomfortable with this, but she nodded nervously. "O-okay, let's go get him."

Now feeling very clean after his long shower, John eased himself down onto the bed. He laid back with a happy sigh and shut his eyes.

He had expected Aeryn to be back by now. He hadn't exactly taken a quick shower. How long did it take to get food in this place? Was it all the way on the other side of the base or something? His stomach growled with impatience and hunger, but he ignored it. He could wait; she would be back soon.

In the meantime, maybe he could get a little shut-eye.

He heard the sound of the door swishing open, but he didn't move. Instead, he smiled and said, "Hey Honey, what took ya so long?"

He heard her footsteps, and it was silent for a moment before she replied. "I'm sorry, John."

"Nah, it's okay," he said as he opened his eyes and sat up.

He instantly froze and his blood ran cold. Aeryn stood in the door, flanked by four Nebari soldiers.

"Aeryn..." he started slowly, his eyes locked on the soldiers. "What's going on?"

She was watching him with fear and pain in her eyes. "I'm...I'm sorry, John."

The soldiers approached him, and one of them ordered for him to get to his feet.

John didn't move. "Aeryn, what the hell is going on?"

Two of the soldiers grabbed him by his arms and pulled him up to his feet.

"Hey!" John shouted. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Let me go! Aeryn!" He twisted around to look at her, true fear sparkling in his eyes. "Aeryn!"

The Nebari pulled him forward, dragging him out of the room. John struggled against them, trying to get free, all the while calling for Aeryn.

Nerri approached them with a scowl on his face. "We ran another scan for the Contagion."

"And?" Aeryn asked eagerly.

"He is infected. Completely. It's already taken full control of his system," Nerri reported.

Aeryn and Chiana both looked at John through the glass viewing window.

"Nerri," Chiana began. "How did we miss it before? Why...why didn't the scans detect it?"

"The Establishment knows a good deal of how the Resistance works," Nerri explained. "My best guess is that they gave him something to bypass the scan temporarily."

Aeryn swallowed and she struggled to keep her voice steady. "Is there a way to fix it? Can we cure him?"

Nerri pursed his lips and looked reluctant. "Yes, there is. But it's only been recently developed."

"Does it work?" Chiana asked.

"Yes...but it could be dangerous to Crichton."

Aeryn's eyes darted to Nerri. "What do you mean?"

"All of our test subjects have been Nebari, and all of the cases came out undamaged and perfectly normal. But Crichton...he's a different species. It may not be safe for him."

Silence fell around them and both Chiana and Nerri were staring at Aeryn, waiting for a response.

Aeryn was watching John with a hard gaze. And after while, she finally said, "Do it."

Nerri spun around on his heel and headed back into the medical room.

"Aeryn...a-are you sure?" Chiana asked shakily.

"I told you Chiana, I'd rather he were dead than brain washed by the Establishment," Aeryn said, her voice trembling now. "And if this is the only way, then I'll take the risk."

Chiana nodded, then said, "When they do it...you should stay with him. It...it's a long, and painful process, to...to get the Contagion outta your system."

Aeryn looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. "How...how do you know?"

"I..." Chiana licked her lips and didn't meet Aeryn's eyes. "I was one of the ones that the Establishment infected so that...so that I'd spread it to...to other people."

"You...you've been under the influence of the Contagion before?"

"No...no, not like that, it was...i-it was different," said Chiana. "It didn't affect me at all...I just p-passed it on t-to other people."

Aeryn asked no more questions, seeing how it bothered Chiana to talk about it. She looked back through the window at John, concern pulsing through her veins.

"All right," she said. "I want to go in there with him."

"Okay...But...it'll take arns."

"I don't care."

Chiana smiled slightly, then nodded. "Okay. Come on."

John pursed his lips tightly as he strained his arm against the buckle tying down his wrist. He curled his hand into a fist and tried again. No use. He looked back up at the white ceiling and tried to calm his breathing. Fear was swirling in his stomach and throbbing in his temples.

He screwed it up, somehow. They knew that he was infected with the Contagion; there was no other explanation. Aeryn must've figured it out somehow. He should've been more careful around her; he should've known that she would be the one to detect something different with him.

A strong sense of failure washed over him. He had failed the Establishment and the greater good. He had never felt so low and pathetic in his life.

"John?"

He turned his head to find Aeryn standing beside his bed, looking down at him with tears in her eyes.

"Aeryn...What's going on?" he asked gruffly. "What're they gonna do to me?"

She blinked back her tears and licked her lips. "We're going to reverse the Contagion's effect on you. We're going to cure you, turn you back to normal."

An utter look of horror passed over his face and his body went still in terror.

"No...no, Aeryn, you can't do that!" He strained against the buckles again. "Don't let them do it, Aeryn! Please!"

"John, it's for your own good!" She bent over him, wanting to touch but too afraid to. "Please John, don't struggle, you'll hurt yourself."

"Aeryn, please...don't let them do this to me," John begged as he stared up into her eyes.

More tears flooded her eyes and she shook her head. "I have to, John. You'll be so grateful when this is over."

A Nebari nurse approached him, holding a syringe in her hand. John eyed it with fear and began to breathe deeply.

"Aeryn," he tried again. "Please..."

Her cool fingers wrapped around his and she held his hand in a tight grasp.

John tried to lean away from the needle as the nurse began reaching for his neck, but he couldn't move anywhere in the restraints. He gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut as he felt the needle slide into his neck. After a second, the nurse carefully pulled it back out, murmured something to Aeryn, then left.

Aeryn gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "It'll be a few arns, John."

"A few arns what?" he said through clenched teeth.

"Before...before you're back to normal," she answered shakily.

John let out a rush of trembling breath. "Why, Aeryn? Why...why are you doing this?"

She hesitated before answering. "I'm doing it because I love you."

He opened his eyes to stare at the white ceiling again, and waited in horror for his life to be taken away from him.

* * *

Well, there it is! Is it different from what you guys were expecting? Well I hope you all enjoyed it! Please let me know what you think! I'm dying to know! And thank you all so much for reading! Hope this chapter is long enough and worthy enough for you guys! Chapter X shall be up soon! Keep an eye out for it!

HRS


	10. Chapter X

**Author's Note:** Hee hee! I hope you guys like this chapter! I really enjoyed writing it! I suggest you guys buckle your seatbelts, this ride ain't over yet!

**CHAPTER X**  


_"Aeryn...uh, did I say or...do anything to piss you off? I - I mean, other than caving in the side of your head?"_

**-John Crichton: _Die Me, Dichotomy_**

* * *

****

**A shudder ran down** John's body, foreshadowing more pain. Almost immediately afterwards he convulsed, pain jolting throughout his body, and he gasped. He went stiff as the sharp pain slowly receded, but never quite faded away completely.

His breathing was sharp and ragged. His lungs felt tight, making it i hurt ntensely to breathe. He didn't bother trying to open his eyes; there was too much pain. Thick saliva was sliding out the corners of his mouth, but he didn't notice. And he heard nothing but a constant ringing in his ears.

John let out another gasp of pain as his body jolted with another convulsion. Hot tears rolled down his temples as the throbbing pain lingered throughout his body, then finally receded again.

He tried to reach out and feel something, anything but pain - maybe his clothes or the temperature of the air. But it was as if all five of his senses were blocked off, and all he knew was pain.

He tried searching his mind for something to hold onto, to give him some hope and help him keep his sanity. But he hurt so much that thinking was nearly impossible. All he could think about was how much he hurt.

Searing pain struck through him again and he let out a deep gasp as he convulsed once more.

**Aeryn's heart pounded hard** in her chest as she watched him. She leaned forward to wipe away the saliva from his mouth and dry the tears on his temples. She bit down on her bottom lip as she lightly stroked his face. He shuddered, then convulsed, making the painful knot in her stomach tighten even more.

She didn't try talking to him; she didn't think he could hear her. Even if he could, she knew he was in too much pain to respond.

The nurse came by for her routine check-up on John. She studied the monitor beside his bed with a frown.

"How much longer is this going to take?" Aeryn asked shakily as she looked up at the nurse.

The nurse glanced down at John. "I can't say. It's different for everyone."

John convulsed and gasped sharply, drawing back Aeryn's attention.

The nurse looked down at him with a furrowed brow and shook her head. "He shouldn't be reacting this severely."

Aeryn snapped her head up to look at the nurse with wide eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Convulsions and pain are normal, but..." The nurse leaned forward to study the monitor more closely. "He's convulsing more frequently than normal, and his temperature is rather high. And he doesn't seem to be getting enough oxygen, which shouldn't be happening."

Aeryn looked down at John with rising fear. "Why is he reacting like that? Is it because he's Human?"

"Being a different species is the only reason I can think of. Unless he's allergic to something in the antidote." The nurse shook her head. "But even if he were allergic, he wouldn't be reacting like this."

"Well fix it!" Aeryn ordered abruptly. "Find out what the problem is and fix it!"

Both their attention was drawn back to John as he convulsed and more saliva trickled from his mouth. Aeryn immediately leaned forward to gently wipe it away.

"Can you give him something..." Aeryn began quietly. "Something to ease his pain?"

The nurse shook her head. "No. He already has two very potent drugs fighting over his system. Adding something else would kill him."

Suddenly John convulsed more violently than ever before. And instead of gasping, he coughed up a mix of blood and vomit. Immediately afterwards his body fell into a violent seizure and his mouth began to foam up profusely.

"_John!_" Aeryn screamed in terror.

The nurse pulled her back and shouted at nearby doctors. Four other Nebari doctors instantly abandoned whatever they were doing and raced over to John. Aeryn struggled against the nurse, tears streaming down her face and screaming for John.

**Sitting with her head** in her hands, trembling and crying silently, Aeryn waited in horror. It had been three arns since she had been taken from the room, away from John, and had been forced to wait outside. They wouldn't even let her watch from the viewing window.

Chiana's voice broke through her thoughts. "Aeryn?"

Aeryn instantly looked up and got to her feet. "Chiana what's going on? What happened to John? Is he - "

"Crichton's fine," Chiana said with a very weak smile. "H-he stopped throwing up 'n stuff, a-and the seizure stopped. He's not even convulsing anymore."

Aeryn took this as a good sign. "Is he nearly cured then?"

Chiana shook her head. "N-no...not yet."

Aeryn's heart sank and she took a deep breath. "Well did they find out what was wrong with him? What caused him to react like that?"

Chiana seemed to go completely frozen and her eyes glossed over. "Th-the cure...it didn't...it didn't work. Crichton's body...r-rejected it."

Aeryn stared at her in complete fear and shock. "Why...why didn't...why didn't it work?" she asked weakly, her voice shaking. "Was it dangerous to him? Because he's Human?"

Chiana shook her head softly. "N-no...not, th-that's not why." She swallowed hard and her milky tears threatened to fall.

"What is it, Chiana?" Aeryn asked firmly. "What's wrong with John?"

"They...they uh, they ran some tests, and..." Chiana licked her lips before continuing. "The Contagion inside him...it's not...it's not normal, not the original. It's different...it's more advanced. They...they've never seen it be-before." She took in a deep, shuddering breath. "They can't get it out of 'im, Aeryn. They...they said it's irreversible."

**"It's not irreversible!" Aeryn** snapped venomously at Nerri. "You're just not trying hard enough!"

Nerri growled with heavy annoyance. "At the _moment _it's irreversible. We need time to research this new Contagion and find a way to reverse it."

"Then do it already!"

"Officer Sun, I have nearly the entire medical facility and our best scientists working on it!" Nerri snapped. "This is just as important to the Resistance as it is to you."

Chiana stepped up close to her brother. "Nerri, why would the Establishment make another version of the Contagion?"

"The Contagion has been spreading for over twenty cycles," Nerri began. "The Establishment most likely found fault in it and have been working to improve it."

"But why would they just now release it?" Aeryn asked.

Nerri looked at her. "Just because it is new to us does not mean that they're never used it before. It could have already infected hundreds or thousands of people."

"But...you can fix it, right?" asked Chiana.

"Chiana," Nerri shook his head. "I am not sure of anything. This new Contagion could very well be irreversible. Perhaps that was one of the faults of the older Contagion that needed correcting." He looked over at Aeryn, his eyes hard. "But we are going to do everything we can to try and find a cure."

**Aeryn walked into the** room trembling. The nurse had told her that John was awake but still infected, that he was very weak and very tired, and a bit sick.

And he most certainly looked that way. His skin was pale and a thin layer of perspiration shimmered on his skin. His mouth was discolored slightly from the stains of blood and vomit and his eyes were red and puffy.

They had strapped the restraints back over his arms and legs. But unlike before, this didn't seem to bother John at all. Or maybe he was just too tired and sickly to care right now.

Aeryn fight back new tears as she silently sat in the stool beside John's bed. He hadn't opened his eyes since she came in. She wasn't even sure if he was awake.

"John?"

His eyes fluttered then opened halfway. They aimlessly darted around before finally resting on her. "Aeryn..." His voice was low and hoarse.

She nodded. "John, do you know what happened?"

"Yeah." A weak smile twisted his lips and his dull eyes suddenly glistened. "Couldn't get it outta me."

Her stomach clenched and his smile made goose bumps spread over her arms and back.

"So whadda ya gonna do now, Aeryn?" he asked, his smile a bit wider. "Put me in the aurora chair and try to beat it outta me?"

"We're working on a cure," Aeryn said, trying to keep her voice steady. "And we _will_ find one, John."

John closed his eyes and chuckled. "You don't have to do all that, Aeryn. Just send me back to the Establishment, I'll be perfectly happy there."

Aeryn shook her head. "You know I'd never do that."

He chuckled again, then slightly shook his head. "You don't know what you're doing, Aeryn."

"I'm saving you," she said sharply.

"_Saving me?_" he repeated with disgust. "I've already been saved, Aeryn. What you're trying to do to me is a nightmare. It's hell." He opened his eyes and looked at her again. "I don't want to go back to that life, Aeryn."

She couldn't fight back the tears that flooded her eyes. And when she spoke her voice was thick with emotion. "Well John, it's either that life, or death."

John's eyes opened slightly more in surprise. "You're gonna kill me?"

"Only if there's no way to return you to normal," Aeryn replied as steadily as she could.

He studied her in silence; his dull eyes bored into hers and scanned her face. Then he shook his head softly. "You're not gonna kill me. You can't."

"I will not let you live like this, John," she said sternly. "It's what the real you would want."

"Aeryn..." He looked at her with pain and pity in his eyes. "This all would be so much easier if you'd just let me show you, help you to understand."

"Don't try to convince me, John. It's not going to work," she said with a shake of her head.

John turned to look up at the ceiling. His eyelids sunk a little lower and his chest rose and feel with deep, steady breaths.

"Aeryn," he said wearily, his eyes nearly closing. "Lemme outta these straps."

Aeryn shook her head. "I can't do that, John."

"Aeryn, come on," he said as he turned to look at her again. "I'm not gonna try 'n escape. I have no idea how to get around this place, and the security is way too tight. And besides," He closed his eyes and waited a minute, catching his breath. "I'm in no condition to attempt escape," he mumbled.

"Then why do you want the restraints off?" she asked sharply.

John opened his eyes slightly to look down at his wrist as he twisted it around under the strap. "'Cause they hurt," he murmured.

Aeryn looked down at the restraints tying down his wrists. His skin had turned red and blotchy around the straps.

"Listen Aeryn, I'm not gonna try anything stupid," John said. "Hurting you would be violent and very inappropriate. Besides, I know you'd kick my butt. 'Specially with the state I'm in." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "And I don't wanna hurt you anyway."

She looked back at his face with sharp eyes. "I'm not unstrapping you, John."

"One hand at a time then. Come on Aeryn, they're cutting off my circulation for crying out loud!" He let out an irritated sigh. "At least just loosen them."

Aeryn studied him in indecision. She shakily reached out to gently touch his raw skin. John hissed and she looked up at him again.

"Does that hurt?"

"Yes," he growled through clenched teeth.

She looked back at his wrist with a furrowed brow. She didn't want John to be in pain like this once he was back to normal. That was if he was returned to normal.

Standing up, Aeryn walked over to a small box that looked like a refrigeration unit on the other side of the room. She opened the lid and pulled out a small, sealed packet. She walked back over to John, who was watching her with curious eyes.

Aeryn sat back down on the stool. John watched her silently as she carefully unbuckled the restraint over his wrist nearest her. Picking up the small packet, she gently pressed it against his skin.

John smiled slightly and said, "Ice-pac."

"Does that feel better?" Aeryn asked flatly, keeping her eyes on his wrist.

"Yeah," John mumbled.

After a brief moment of highly uncomfortable silence, Aeryn lifted the cold package away from John's wrist. In one quick blurring motion, John lashed out and smashed her head hard against the edge of the bed. Aeryn slumped against the bed as she collapsed, her hands weakly groping for something to hold onto. But she hit the floor and her eyelids fluttered.

John smiled proudly and quickly unbuckled himself. He got off the bed and knelt over her. He pulled her pulse pistol out of her holster, then looked back at her face. He softly brushed her hair back and stroked her cheek.

"I'm sorry Aeryn," he said softly. "But it's for the greater good."

**There was a sound**, distant and faint, barely audible. But it was slowly getting stronger, becoming louder. It was heavily muffled and dragged out; a very odd sort of sound. It quickly became recognizable as a voice, but it was still very muffled. It was singing...or maybe it wasn't, it was difficult to tell. There were other sounds too, voices that were getting strong like this one.

"...ryn..."

"...concussion...lot of blood..."

"She...wake up..."

"...Crichton..."

"...infec...he's still weak...won't get far..."

"Ae...n?...hea...e?"

"...give her...to...ake..."

"Aeryn?"

The voice was suddenly crystal clear and it startled her. Her body jolted slightly with surprise, which brought her back into full consciousness. She shifted slightly and tried to open her eyes.

"Aeryn? Can you hear me?"

She now recognized the voice to be Chiana's. Aeryn finally managed to get her eyes open.

Chiana was leaning over her, looking very worried. Nerri and a nurse were looking down at her as well.

"Chiana," Aeryn said gruffly. "What happened?"

"Why don't you tell us?" Nerri snarled. "One of our doctors came in to find you unconscious and Crichton gone!"

Aeryn instantly sat bolt upright, causing her head to throb with sharp pain. Her eyes darted around the room. "John's gone?"

"How did Crichton get free of his restraints?" Nerri snapped.

Chiana shot her brother a sharp look. "It doesn't matter _how_, Nerri. We already know where Crichton is anyway."

Aeryn snapped her head around to look at Chiana. "Where is he?"

"He's in one of the storage rooms," Chiana said. "He's been in there for about half an arn."

"How do you know that? How did you find him?" Aeryn asked quickly.

Nerri spoke with heavy irritation. "We have very tight security here. We tracked him with our cameras."

Aeryn turned back to Chiana. "Why is he in a storage chamber? What's he doing in there? And why for half an arn?"

This time the nurse spoke. "He is still very weak and sick. His body could've broken down."

Aeryn's stomach curled in fear and worry. "And you haven't sent anyone after him?"

Chiana shook her head.

"Good." Aeryn slowly got to her feet. "I'm going to get him."

"I'll come with you," Chiana said anxiously.

Aeryn wavered on her feet and she put her hand on the nearby bed for support. "No Chiana, I need to do this alone."

She caught sight of some blood on the edge of the bed, and her stomach knotted up tighter in realization. She touched the side of her face and brought her fingers down to look at them; they were covered in blood.

"Aeryn, you're not in any shape to go after Crichton by yourself!" Chiana insisted. "You've lost a lot of blood, and you've got a concussion!"

"How long have I been out?"asked Aeryn.

"W-e found you a-about an arn ago,"Chiana replied. "We dunno h-how long you were out b-before then."

Aeryn winced as her temple throbbed. "It doesn't matter." She reached down for her pulse pistol, but it wasn't there. "I need a pulse pistol."

Chiana handed Aeryn hers. "W-what are you gonna do? I mean...y-you're not gonna h-hurt him, are you?"

"Of course not. I'm going to bring him back."

**Holding her pulse pistol** up and ready, Aeryn cautiously walked into the storage room. It was much bigger than she was expecting. It was filled with rows and rows of stuffed shelves and crates stacked up along the walls.

She froze and her mouth parted at the sight of a small pool of blood and vomit. Her heart raced with worry, remembering the nurse had said that John was still very weak and sick.

Aeryn tightened her grip on her pulse pistol and continued on, walking slowly.

Just when she poked her head around the edge of a shelf, a pulse blast whizzed past her ear and hit the packages on the shelf. Aeryn quickly stepped back as the contents of the packages showered over her. Two more pulse blasts followed, hitting more items on the shelves.

Aeryn leaned back against the crates lining the wall and tried to peer through all the loaded shelves to find John, but she couldn't see him. She strained her ears to listen for any noises, but there was only silence.

Her head pounded again with intense pain, but she squeezed her eyes shut and blocked it off.

"John," she called. "It's me."

There was no response, only silence.

She quietly made her way in another direction, hoping to catch him off guard, wherever he was.

A crate right beside her exploded and she blocked her face from flying shards of wood.

"John!" she shouted. "I'm not here to harm you, you know me better than that!"

He still did not respond and she cursed under her breath.

She went still when she heard breathing, heavy, raspy breathing. A large lump formed in her throat and her heart beat a little faster. She swiftly moved over to the end of the last row of shelves, pressing her back against the cold metal. He was just around the corner, she could hear him.

Holding her pulse pistol up with both hands, she stepped around the corner and aimed it at John. Immediately her heart stopped and her eyes went wide.

John sat curled up on the floor with his back against the crates, breathing deeply. His skin shimmered with perspiration and there was another puddle of vomit on the floor beside him. Blood and foam were slowly oozing out from the corners of his mouth. He lifted his eyelids half way and shifted his eyes to look at her.

His loose hold on his pulse pistol instantly tightened and he leaned forward in attempt to stand up. He instantly fell over and hit the floor, letting out a small grunt. He sat up on one elbow and coughed up a thick wad of blood and foam that splattered on the floor. Then he turned back to look at Aeryn and shakily held up his pulse pistol at her.

"Go away, Aeryn," he rasped. "Just go away."

Aeryn stared at him in shock and the knot in her throat got bigger. Seeing her husband in such a condition was so painful, her heart hammered in her chest and her eyes glossed over.

"I can't, John," she said quietly. "Please, let me help you."

"_No!_" He choked slightly, then turned his head as he coughed up more liquids. After he took a couple deep breaths, he said, "I don't wanna go back to being like that, Aeryn. I won't. I'd rather die."

"John, there's no where for you to go," she said as she struggled to keep her voice steady. "You'll never get out of here and back to the Establishment."

He turned to look at her again, still breathing deeply and aiming his pulse pistol at her lamely. "Then I'll die."

He moved his arm and began bringing the muzzle of his gun towards his own head.

"John, NO!" Aeryn screamed, and she lunged toward him.

She landed hard on top of John, knocking the wind out of him and slapped the pulse pistol out of his hand.

John was too weak to try and get her off him. He lay sprawled out on his back, still breathing deeply and he shut his eyes. "Don' do it, Aeryn..." he murmured breathlessly. "Don'...I don' wanna go back to...to..."

And his head fell to the side as he went unconscious.

* * *

Ah ha! And you guys thought John got cured at the end of the last chapter! Hee hee!

Well please let me know all your thoughts 'n stuff! Feedback is my food! Chapter XI will be up soon. Thanks all so much for reading!

HRS


	11. Chapter XI

**Author's Note:** Well here it is! Chapter XI! I'm so glad that you guys so thoroughly enjoyed the last chapter. I'm glad my little trick worked with the end of Chapter IX how you guys all thought John was getting cured! Okay enough of my blabbing, I'll let you read now!

**Chapter XI**

"_I always do what I want, okay? I don't know why, it's just the way I am."_

**-Chiana: _The Locket_**

* * *

****

**When Aeryn entered the** briefing room, her stomach dropped. Grayza, Scorpius and Bracca were all there, each carrying very different expressions. Grayza looked irritated and impatient, while Scorpius looked very interested and Bracca had on his usual blank expression. Shivers ran down Aeryn's spine when they all turned to look at her.

"Chiana, Officer Sun," Nerri greeted in a firm voice. "Come in and take a seat."

Aeryn walked to the edge of the large round table, but she remained standing, as did Chiana.

Aeryn had the palm of her hand pressed hard against her pulse pistol as she cast a glance in Grayza and Scorpius' direction. Either Grayza hadn't noticed, or had simply chosen to ignore her. But Scorpius met Aeryn's sharp eyes and grinned, making her insides churn.

"What's going on, Nerri?" Chiana asked, her voice bringing Aeryn's attention back.

Nerri gestured to a male Nebari beside him, one that none of them had seen before. "This is Lyac. He was one of our spys inside the Establishment."

"Was?" asked Aeryn.

"He returned here an arn ago," Nerri began.

Before he could further explain, Grayza cut in. "And what is so important to make him risk his life returning here, rather than transmitting it?"

"He has information on the new Contagion we found in Crichton," Nerri replied.

A heavy silence filled the room and no one moved.

"What do you know about it?" Aeryn asked suddenly, looking at Lyac. "Do you know if there's a way to reverse it?"

Lyac was hesitant about answering, but Nerri nodded his permission, so Lyac spoke.

"Yes, there is a way to reverse this Contagion," Lyac began. "But I know little about it. I do know that a type of...cure, if you will, has been developed. But I have no information on whether or not it has been tested, what kind of form it's in, why the Establishment even made it - "

"Where is it located?" Aeryn asked abruptly.

"Inside a laboratory within the Establishment headquarters," Lyac said.

Grayza turned to Nerri. "It is vital that we get that cure."

"I agree," Nerri nodded. "But attaining it is a difficult task."

"C-can't we just have another spy bring it to us?" Chiana asked.

Nerri shook his head. "We can spare no agents. And getting out of the Establishment headquarters is very dangerous."

"What do you mean you can't spare any agents?" Scorpius snarled. "The Establishment has unleashed a new type of Contagion and the cure is within our grasp!"

Nerri glowered at the hybrid. "You are a Peacekeeper. Surely you understand how these things work."

Grayza was now glaring at Nerri as well. "Nothing is more important than - "

"I'll go."

They all turned to look at Chiana, who had spoke shyly.

"What are you talking about, Chiana?" Aeryn asked.

Chiana looked around at them and stood up straight. "I'll go and get the cure from the Establishment."

"Don't be ridiculous, Chiana!" Nerri said. "They'd recognize you and immediately take you prisoner!"

"W-well I'll ch-change my appearance."

"And just how would you get in?" Grayza asked.

"I can help with that," said Lyac, keeping his eyes on Chiana.

"Absolutely not!" Nerri said as he rose to his feet. "I will not let you walk into the hands of the Establishment!"

"You're not in charge of what I do, Nerri!" Chiana snapped loudly, startling everyone. "I'm going to do this. I...I wanna cure Crichton." She shook her head. "I'm not gonna let him stay frelled up like that. I want him back. A-and if I have to go to the Establishment to do that...th-then I will."

**"Chiana, this is suicide!"** Nerri insisted.

"Maybe," she said with a shrug.

"You're going to get killed!"

"Possibly."

Nerri stared at her with sharp eyes and a set jaw. "I can't let you do this, Sister."

"You don't control me, Nerri!" Chiana snapped as she whirled to face him. "I do what I want!"

"I will not let you get contaminated or killed for the sake of an inferior, weak-minded and pathetic man!"

Chiana froze, starting at her brother with an open mouth and wide eyes. "Wh-what did you just say?" She took a step closer to him, glaring into his eyes and shaking her head. "Don't ever say that," she ordered firmly. "Don't ever call Crichton that. N-never."

"What's so special about him, Chiana?" Nerri asked quietly. "What has he done for you that I have not?"

Before she could speak, the door slid open and Milac stepped inside.

"They're ready for you," he said to Chiana.

She nodded, her eyes still on her brother. When she turned to walk away, Nerri snagged her by the wrist.

"Chiana -"

"Frell off, Nerri!" she shrieked, and pulled away from him.

She glared at him coldly before she turned around again and left without a backward glance.

**Aeryn stared with a** stunned expression.

"So what d'ya think?" Chiana asked with a wide smile. She held up her arms and spun around once for Aeryn to get a better look.

Aeryn shook her head. "You look...different."

"Pretty drad, huh?" Chiana said, beaming.

Chiana looked completely different. She had donned a standard issue, black Establishment uniform, her hair was standing on end in all directions making her head look like a big fluffy ball, and her skin was now a darker shade of gray. Subtle changes, but it altered her appearance drastically. She no longer looked anything like the fugitive Chiana.

"They did very well," Aeryn commented.

Chiana smiled proudly. "I told 'em to make sure I look sexy."

Aeryn smiled slightly for a brief moment before it faded. "Are you sure you want to do this, Chiana?"

"Course! I said I did, didn't I? And it'll be fun." Her smile wavered and then died when she saw the serious look on Aeryn's face. "It's okay, Aeryn. I'm doing this for Crichton. I'm gonna bring back that cure for 'im." She smiled again. "I'll be back before ya know it."

"Just be careful, Chiana," Aeryn said quietly.

"I will," Chiana said with a shy nod.

"And Chiana..."

The Nebari looked at her with worry. "What?"

Aeryn licked her lips, then smiled faintly. "Thank you."

Chiana smiled shyly. "N-no problem. Look after the old man. I'll be back soon."

**Laying on his back** with his hands behind his head, John stared blankly at the ceiling. He had awoken to find himself in this cell a few arns ago, and no one had come in since. He wanted to know what was going on, what they were planning to do to him.

He was angry with himself for being so careless. He should've tied Aeryn up or something, put _her_ in the bed with the restraints and see how _she_ likes it. He was embarrassed and ashamed of himself for letting her catch him again so easily. Course, it wasn't really his fault; he had been rather sick and weak. But still...he shouldn't have let it happen.

For the first time he heard the heavy metallic clank of the cell door opening, and he sat up. Aeryn walked in, and he smiled slightly. She looked down at him with a blank expression.

"I see you're doing better," she observed in a flat tone.

"Yup," he said with a nod. He cocked his head to the side. "And how are you?"

She ignored his question. "Are you still feeling any pain?"

"No. What about you? How's your head?"

Her eyes darkened into a glare. He hadn't meant for it to come out that cocky; he was worried about her. He had smashed her head in pretty good.

John looked down into his lap and spoke quietly. "Aeryn...I'm sorry that I hit you, but it was necessary."

"For the greater good."

"Yes," he nodded.

John looked up at her, studying her hard face and cold eyes. "You really think I don't care about you?"

"You care for nothing but the Establishment and their cause," she said darkly.

"If that were true, I would've killed you when I had the chance."

"You nearly did."

"No, I nearly killed myself," he said firmly. "I was only shooting at you to keep you back."

Aeryn studied him in silence for a moment before speaking again. "You once told me that when you were mind cleansed, if you had to, you would've killed me without a second thought, that you wouldn't have even cared. So who do you think I'm going to believe? The real John Crichton, or the mind cleansed one?"

John pursed his lips and averted his gaze from her. "You wouldn't understand," he said quietly.

"No, of course not," she said flatly. Then after a moment of silence, she said, "I came to tell you that Chiana has gone to the Establishment."

His head snapped up and he stared at her in shock. "What? Why?"

"We've found a cure to reverse this new Contagion," she explained. "And she volunteered to go and get it for you."

"They'll recognize her."

"We altered her appearance."

"Well, she's gonna get caught once someone notices she's not infected with the Contagion."

"We took care of that as well."

John glowered at her for a while before he shook his head. "She's not gonna make it."

"She's doing it for you, John," Aeryn said firmly. "If she doesn't make it back, she'll make sure that the cure does."

"I told you I'd rather die than be changed back to normal."

"You don't have a choice in this, John," she said sharply. "We're going to bring you back to normal, whether you say you want it or not." She paused a moment before continuing. "If you really wanted to live like this, being cleansed and serving the Establishment, then you would've continued to feel that way when we had cured you the first time."

He turned his head away from her. "Go away, Aeryn. I don't wanna talk to you anymore," he said quietly.

Aeryn stared at him, studying his face and composure. "I'll come back once Chiana has returned with the cure."

John did not look at her again as she turned to leave.

Closing his eyes, he let out a heavy breath and lay back down on his bed.

He wanted out of here so badly, to go back to the Establishment headquarters. He longed to be surrounded by people who understood him and lived for the same cause. But he would never get there again. Even if by some miracle he escaped from the Resistance, he had no idea how to get back to the Establishment. It was so far away...

"Somewhere over the rainbow," he sighed sorrowfully.

A small, sad smile tugged at his lips and he softly began to sing.

_"Way up high,  
"There's a land that I heard of  
"Once in a lullaby."_

Ever since he had set foot down here he'd felt trapped. This is place was horribly ugly compared to the magnificence of the Establishment headquarters. He longed to see his home again.

_"Someday I'll wish upon a star  
"And wake up where the clouds are far behind me  
"Where troubles melt like lemon drops  
"Away above the chimney tops  
"That's where you'll find me."_

John closed his eyes and slowly let out a deep breath. He continued to sing in a whisper.

_"Somewhere over the rainbow  
"Bluebirds fly  
"Birds fly over the rainbow  
"Why then, oh why can't I?"_

**Chiana took a deep** and trembling breath, trying to keep herself calm. She wasn't alone in this - Lyac had told her so. He had contacted a fellow spy within the Establishment and informed her of Chiana's coming. And this spy, Trana, was to help Chiana in any way possible.

Chiana craned her neck to look up at the towering building, the Establishment headquarters. Meeting Trana in a place so close to it was risky and it was making Chiana very uncomfortable. What if she was spotted by the patrols or security? And how was Trana going to get her into the Establishment headquarters anyway?

There was a sound behind her and Chiana whirled around with her pulse pistol up and ready. She came face to face with another Nebari girl, aiming her gun at Chiana.

"Are you Chiana?" the girl asked sharply.

"A-are you T-Trana?" Chiana asked back, desperately trying to keep her voice steady.

The woman only stared at her with dark and piercing eyes, then slowly lowered her weapon and nodded. "Yes I am."

Chiana let out a rush of breath in relief and holstered her pulse pistol. "D-don't scare me like that."

"So you're Nerri's younger sister," Trana said as she studied Chiana. "It's an honor to meet you."

"Uh..." Chiana shifted her feet uncomfortably and swallowed. "Th-thanks." She looked back up at the Establishment building. "How're you gonna get me in there?"

Trana smiled and her eyes glistened. "Oh, don't worry about that. It's not as hard as you may think."

**Chiana fiddled with the** identification card in one hand as they walked. She couldn't believe how ridiculously easy it had been for her to get into the Establishment headquarters. Just one swipe of the ident card Trana had given her and she was in.

Chiana figured it was a lower level of security. She was not the only with an ident card that gave her such easy access. There had been a row of doors with hundreds of Nebari sliding their cards through to get in. A few soldiers stood around watching, but that was the extent of the security. She guessed that everyone there had been technicians or some sort of low rank.

From the microt she got in her heart had been racing with fear that someone would recognize her. But no one she had passed even gave her a sideways glance. She was just another Nebari within the Establishment living to serve the greater good.

Neither she nor Trana had spoken a word to each other since they had entered the building. There were hidden cameras and listening devices _everywhere_ inside the Establishment. She didn't know when or where they would be able to talk, but Trana obviously did. Chiana could tell by the power of Trana's stride that she was leading her somewhere.

They came to a door which automatically opened for them and they stepped inside. Chiana found herself standing in the middle of a very large storage room.

"Okay, it's safe to talk here," Trana announced.

Chiana didn't bother asking how, she didn't really care. Her mind was set on getting the Contagion cure for Crichton.

"S-so how do I get th-the antidote for the new Contagion?"

"It's held inside the Establishment's laboratory."

"How do we get in there?"

Trana smiled. "Well, lucky for us, my cover is a scientist in the laboratory." Then she frowned. "The only problem is that this cure is contained in a room that I do not have clearance for."

"W-well how do we get in?"

"The only way to get in is with the right keycard and pass code," Trana explained. "Only the higher rank scientists have them."

"S-so we need to find one a-and get him to help us."

Trana raised her eyebrows. "That's asking for chaos to break loose."

Chiana huffed impatiently. "Then you come up with something!"

Trana smiled again, wider this time. "Well, you're very fortunate that Lyac was one of these higher ranking scientists."

Chiana stared at her with an open mouth. "Well why didn't ya just say so? D-do you have his card a-and the password?"

"Yes, he left them with me," Trana said. "But it's not that easy."

"Why not?"

"The laboratory has hundreds of cameras inside, and security knows who is allowed in that room and who isn't. Blocking or tricking the cameras is out of the question. We're going to need a distraction so that one of us can sneak into the room."

"Oh," Chiana stood up proudly and smiled mischievously. "I'm good at distractions."

"But it's dangerous, Chiana. You could get - "

"It's fine," Chiana said with a wave of her hand. "I do this stuff all the time."

"I don't think you understand the - "

"I can do it!" Chiana shouted.

They stared at each other in heavy silence.

Chiana shuffled her feet and bowed her head. "Look, I...I'm d-doing this for...I know how important this is. As long as one of us gets the cure back to the Resistance, that's all that matters."

Trana studied her in silence, then she smiled slightly. "You're not quite what I was expecting."

Chiana smiled shyly and shrugged.

"Okay, tell me what you have in mind for a distraction."

**"Just where do you** think you're going?" a tall guard snarled down at her, putting out his arm to block her entrance.

"I'm going inside, where else?" Chiana retorted.

She glanced out the corner of her eye to make sure Trana was in place.

The guard shook his head. "I don't think so, techie. You know the rules."

"I can go wherever I want!" Chiana said loudly. She moved to step past him.

"Get back!" he snarled as he grabbed her arm.

"Frell off!" Chiana snapped, and she yanked her arm away from his grasp.

People inside the laboratory were now looking at her, and others in the hallway were also glancing in her direction. She looked over at Trana, who was now making her way towards the room containing the Contagion cure.

"You are not allowed entrance into the laboratory!" the guard barked. "If you need something - "

"I can get it myself!" Chiana snapped. "Frell off!"

"Techs are not permitted into the laboratory!" he shouted angrily.

"Oh yeah?" Chiana said with a tilt of her head. "Well I am!"

More people were watching now, their attention being drawn away from Trana. But Chiana needed everyone's attention, especially security.

She tried to get past the guard again and this time he pointed his weapon at her.

Chiana stepped back and smiled broadly. "Whatcha gonna do? Shoot me?"

"Call security," the guard ordered his partner.

"Well come on!" Chiana pushed. "Shoot me!"

She reached out for his weapon and he cracked the butt hard across her face. Chiana spun around from the impact and hit the floor.

Ignoring the pain, Chiana lifted her head up to check on Trana. Trana was just walking out of the containment room, holding her hand protectively over something beneath her uniform. Chiana took this as a sign that Trana had been successful.

"Get up!" the guard barked at Chiana, poking her with the muzzle of his weapon.

Chiana smiled. "Why don't you pick me up?"

He kicked her hard in the stomach. "I said _get up!_"

Chiana waited until Trana exited the laboratory unnoticed and disappeared around a corner down the hallway. She smiled again and excitement tugged at her belly.

In one liquid motion, she swept her leg underneath the guard standing over her. He collapsed to the floor and the surrounding crowd was now in an uproar. Chiana rolled out of the way of some blaster fire and got to her feet. She began to run, shoving people out of her way. A couple more pulse blasts whizzed past her, making her heart jump. She dove out of the way of more shots into the corridor that Trana had disappeared into.

"_Chiana!_"

She whirled around to find Trana, looking very angry.

"Are you _insane?_" she hissed.

Chiana shrugged and smiled. "Hey, it worked."

A round of pulse blasts hit the wall beside them, and they both bolted down another passageway.

"Now we'll never get out of here!" Trana huffed as they ran.

Chiana grabbed her arm and pulled her into another corridor.

"Look," Chiana began, "you have a better chance of getting out of here than I do. They're not after you, they're after me."

Trana's brow furrowed. "You want me to leave you behind?"

There were loud, angry voices in the distance. Chiana peered around the corner and cursed.

She turned back to Trana. "Just get outta here. Get the antidote back to the Resistance. I'll distract these guys."

"But Chiana - "

"Just go!" she hissed as she pushed Trana back.

Chiana spun back around the corner and ran out into the middle of the hallway.

"Hey frellnicks! Down here!" she shouted at the large group of security guards.

Before they could shoot or yell at her, she ran down a corridor to her right. But as soon as she came around another corner, something snagged her arm and roughly yanked her to a stop. She froze when she felt a weapon press against the small of her back.

"Well, well, if it isn't Miss Chiana. And just what are you doing here?"

* * *

Dun, dun dun dun! Well there it is. Oh and yes, the part about Chiana's appearance and her hair was meant to be funny, just to let you all know. Anyways! Please leave feedback 'n stuff! I'm dying to know what you guys think! Chapter XII will be up next Monday.

HRS


	12. Chapter XII

**Author's Note:** Yikes! I almost didn't make it you guys! I thought for sure I wasn't gonna get this chapter done in time! I'm so glad that I ended up doing it! I would've felt really bad had I not! Anyways! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! Please leave me some feedback! Feedback is my food.

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

"_Cool. It's for the greater good. She's gonna getcha, getcha, getcha, getcha!"_

**-John Crichton: _A Clockwork Nebari_**

* * *

****

**Aeryn studied him, **waiting while the antidote fought to free his mind. He was shivering and his skin shimmered with perspiration. There were no convulsions or body fluids this time, much to her relief, but it was still painful for him.

John hadn't put up a fight or said a word when they had led him back to the bed with the restraints. He had been completely still as they strapped him in and injected him with the cure.

They had tested it of course, made sure it was safe and that there was nothing in it that would be dangerous to John. At first they hadn't been sure it would work, but within a quarter arn they knew that the drug was indeed clearing John's body of the Contagion.

She had taken his hand in hers when the pain started. At first he had left his hand limp and unresponsive, but now he was firmly squeezing her hand. He hadn't said a word to her, and she hadn't spoken either. She didn't want him to talk while he was hurting anyway. She just wanted him to get through this, for him to have his mind free of the Contagion's control. She wanted her husband back.

Suddenly his eyelids fluttered and then opened, the first time he had opened them in arns. Aeryn's breath caught in her chest as she watched him with anxiety. His eyes aimlessly rolled around and he moved his head slightly.

"Aeryn..." he muttered in a deep and quiet voice.

She tightened her hold on his hand and leaned toward him, her heart hammering in her chest. "John?" she whispered.

He turned his head toward her, blinked a couple times, then opened his eyes a bit wider. His mouth slowly curved up into the faintest of smiles. "Hey Baby."

A wide smile broke out on her face and tears sprung to her eyes. She didn't know exactly what it was, but she could tell he was back. The real John Crichton, her husband, the father of her child, he was back.

Her tears rolled down her face and she reached out to touch him. When her fingertips met his temple, his eyes fell shut and his smile widened.

Aeryn then realized that he was still strapped down, and she hurried to unbuckle the restraints. John didn't move much, but he looked grateful.

Looking back at him, she smiled again and more tears burned her eyes.

"John..." She gently touched his face again.

"Aeryn," he murmured. "I'm sorry..."

She shook her head. "Shh, none of that, John. Rest and regain your strength."

John didn't move and his steady gaze remained on her face. Lifting his hand, he touched a strand of her hair. His eyes sparkled and his smile returned as he lazily ran his fingers over her hair.

Finally he let out a tired sigh and shut his eyes. Dropping his hand from her hair, he moved it to hold her hand. She responded with a light squeeze and lifted her other hand to stroke his hair.

"Love you, Aeryn," John mumbled.

At hearing those words, a steady flow of tears came from her eyes and she beamed. There had been times when she'd thought she might never heard him say that again.

"I love you too," she whispered back. And she bent down to place a tender kiss above his eyebrow. "So much."

Aeryn didn't take her eyes off him as he slept.

**When John came to **again, he heard voices. He couldn't tell what they were saying or who they were; all he wanted was his wife.

He opened his eyes and said quietly, "Aeryn?"

The voices halted and his raven-haired goddess came into view. Her brow was creased with concern but she was smiling faintly as she stroked his face.

"I'm here, John," she said quietly.

Placing his hand over hers, he brought it down to kiss her palm.

One of the nurses came up beside John, checking the readings on the monitor beside his bed.

"How are you feeling, Commander?" the nurse asked.

"Better, but still a little sick." John didn't take his eyes off Aeryn as he spoke.

"That will continue throughout the rest of the day," the nurse told him. "By tomorrow you should be back to normal."

John turned his head to look at her. "Did you get it outta me? All of it?"

The nurse made some notes on her pad. "Not all of it, no. There are still small amounts in different areas of your system, but not enough to cause you any more damage. It should drain out of your system within a few days."

He closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief, and Aeryn gently squeezed his hand.

"However," the nurse continued, "you're going to have to return here regularly for a check up. We don't know anything about this new Contagion. It may act differently from what we're used to."

John nodded. "Right. Sounds good."

"Also I must ask that you refrain from sexual intercourse until we completely clear you of the Contagion."

His cheeks burned furiously; he didn't think he'd ever been so red before. Nervously clearing his throat, he nodded again and said, "Sure. No problem."

The nurse looked down at him. "You are free to go. Please be sure that you return here tomorrow."

Once she left, Aeryn helped John to sit up. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and got to his feet. As soon as he was standing, he began to reel forward. But Aeryn caught him by his shoulders and held him up.

"Thanks," John said airily.

She didn't take her hands off him incase he'd fall again.

"Can you walk?" Aeryn asked with concern, her eyes gazing up at him.

His brow furrowed as he stared at his feet, then he nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

"Take it slow," Aeryn said softly. "Don't push yourself."

John pursed his lips and nodded. After taking in a deep breath, he stood up straight and Aeryn removed her hands. He didn't have any trouble keeping on his feet, so Aeryn began to lead him to their quarters. She stayed close to his side as they walked, so that if he stumbled she could catch him.

Neither of them spoke on the way to their room, but at some point John had reached for her hand. And when she looked over at him, she could see by the furrow of his eyebrows and the grim set of his mouth that he was deeply troubled. She didn't doubt that he was blaming himself for everything that had happened, for all he had said and done while under the Contagion's influence.

When they finally walked into their quarters and the door slid shut behind them, John didn't remove his hand from hers. He turned to face her and the tortured expression on his face made her stomach clench. He lifted his free hand to lightly run his fingers down her cheek and over her jaw. His eyes glossed over and he worked his jaw in silence.

Finally, with a soft shake of his head, he said, "Aeryn, I don't...I don't know what to say."

She gave him a watery smile. "You don't have to say anything, John."

Taking a step closer, she leaned against him, wrapped her arms around his waist and hid her face in his shoulder. He hugged her tightly in response, and she smiled when she felt him bury his nose into her hair. Shutting her eyes, she listened to the rhythmic sound of his breathing in sync with his chest rising and falling against her.

John's voice broke the silence. "Aeryn..." He took in a deep, shuddering breath and tightened his arms around her. "Oh God, Aeryn, I missed you so much."

She turned her head to burry her face in the crook of his neck, and her voice quivered as she spoke. "I missed you too, John. So frelling much."

"I'm sorry," he whispered into her hair.

"Don't start apologizing," Aeryn murmured against his skin. "None of what happened was your fault."

He made no response and she wasn't sure what that meant. John never gave up as easily as that before. She felt a small pang of worry.

John shifted and brought one hand up to pull her head back so that he could look at her. She got lost in his brilliant blue gaze; his eyes sparkled with love and warmth again.

He traced the dark scab on her temple with his thumb. As his eyes studied it, she knew what was going through his mind. And just as she opened her mouth to speak, he brought his lips to her temple in a soft kiss.

"I'm so sorry," John whispered, his lips brushing against her skin.

Aeryn removed a hand from his waist to stroke the hair on the nape of his neck. "You weren't in control, John. Your mind had been over taken by the Contagion."

"But it didn't feel like that, Aeryn," he said quietly into her hair. "It still doesn't. It's the same as when I was mind cleansed. It wasn't like I had been brainwashed, it was like...it was like it was really me."

"But it _wasn't_, John," Aeryn reminded him. "And we both know that."

John leaned back again to look at her, and he gave her his small, lopsided smile. "God, I love you."

Aeryn smiled in return and her heart skipped at seeing him smile. She leaned in close to his mouth and stopped to say, "Love you too."

Their lips met in a gentle kiss, which deepened and lengthened and quickly became more passionate. Aeryn brought both her hands up to caress his face as she pushed her tongue deeper into his mouth, and John placed his hand at the nape of her neck to tilt her mouth up harder against his.

When they finally parted, Aeryn touched her forehead to his and ran her hands up into his hair. John rested his hands on her hips and enjoyed the sensation of her fingers brushing across his scalp.

They stood in this position for a long, peaceful silence before John spoke.

"Aeryn?"

"Yes, John?"

"This is really nice," he said quietly as he brushed his nose over hers. "And I don't wanna stop, but..."

"But what, John?" Aeryn pressed, her voice carrying slight concern.

"Um...I'm really hungry."

A loud, rumbling growl came from his stomach.

Aeryn glanced down at his stomach, then looked back him with concern. "When was the last time you ate?"

"Well they gave me some stuff over at the Borg Hive, but I wouldn't exactly call that food."

"That was _solar days_ ago!" She stood up straight, now duty-bound. "Right. I'll go get you something to eat."

"Thanks Babe. You're the best," John said with a smile.

Aeryn smiled at him briefly, before leaning in to kiss him again. When they parted, she reluctantly stepped back from him.

**"It's been a long** time, Chiana," Vayarlla said, her lips twisted into an amused smile. She tilted her head to the side. "I've missed you."

Chiana twisted her wrists against the cuffs securing her arms up over her head.

"Yeah right," she growled. "You've been having too much fun frelling people and infecting their minds."

Vayarlla's smile widened pridefully. "True. But I must admit, I've often wondered about you. There's been quite a lot of news about you and your friends these last cycles." She shook her head. "You haven't changed at all; still getting into trouble wherever you go.

"Which brings me to my original question when I caught you." Vayarlla took a step closer to Chiana. "What are you doing here?"

Chiana lifted her head and smiled brightly. "Well I just came for a visit!"

Vayarlla's dark eyes sharpened. "Don't play games with me, Chiana."

"I can do whatever the frell I want!" Chiana snapped as she strained against the chains.

Vayarlla shook her head. "As naive and arrogant as you ever were." She turned and began to slowly circle Chiana. "We've found a vial of our cure for the new Contagion missing. I'm assuming that has something to do with your presence here."

Chiana met Vayarlla's gaze with a dark glare. "I'm not telling you a frelling thing, you frelling _traitor!_" she spat.

Vayarlla only smiled in response. "I suggest that you change your attitude before Colonel Kythe arrives."

Chiana froze and fear flickered across her face. "K-Kythe is...he's here?"

"Oh yes, he's coming to see you." Vayarlla leaned in close to Chiana's ear and whispered, "He is not as forgiving as I am.

**Aeryn's heart was racing** with anxiety. She wasn't even paying attention to what food she was grabbing for John. Her stomach was tightening with impatience and the questions whizzed through her head over and over again.

Some of them, she knew, John would not be ready to answer - not yet, and probably not for a while. She could wait until he was ready to talk; she had gotten good at that. Though waiting would be very difficult for the one that was scratching at her mind the most: who was the frelling tralk that had infected her husband with the Contagion, and how? She knew that John wouldn't willingly participate, and she also knew that the Nebari did not have heppel oil. Did they have some other potent drug that seduced men and women into sex?

The hair on the back of her neck rose and goose bumps ran down her arms. The thought of that happening to John made her sick and angry. She wondered, then, how John was handling the experience, how he felt. She knew he couldn't be taking it well. His similar experience with Grayza had left him deeply shaken, even to this day. This wouldn't be any different. She only hoped that he wasn't too emotionally scarred and that she would be able to help him through it.

Once Aeryn had gathered a sufficient amount of food for John, she headed back to their quarters. That was when another thought hit her with a pang: where was Chiana? Surely she would want to make sure John was okay and would want to see him. Perhaps she had decided to give Aeryn some time with him. But still...Aeryn thought it odd that Chiana hadn't appeared once to check up on John in all these arns. Besides that, Aeryn wanted to thank her for the risk she'd taken in retrieving the Contagion antidote. If not for her, John would still be mind frelled and locked up in a cell.

Her stomach did a flip-flop as she stepped into their quarters. She couldn't help but smile at seeing her husband sprawled out on his stomach on their bed.

"Aeryn, that you?" came his voice, heavy and drawled.

"Yes," she replied as she walked over to the bedside with the tray of food in her hands.

John rolled over onto his back; Aeryn noticed his hair was wet and mussed, and there was a developing bruise on his cheek.

"John, what happened?" she asked with concern as she gently prodded the dark patch of skin.

"Slipped in the shower," he murmured.

Aeryn shook her head in disappointment. "With the condition that you're in, you shouldn't have done that without my help."

His mouth turned up into a smile. "You can help me in the shower anytime you want, Babe."

Aeryn smiled as she stroked his bruised cheek.

John's stomach growled again, bringing his attention to the tray of food. He tried to sit up but he flopped back down on the bed and groaned.

"I hate being sick," he moaned.

Aeryn picked up one of the food products and sat on the edge of the bed. "Let me do it."

He chuckled. "Great, now you're hand-feeding me."

"Just open your mouth, John."

The next half arn was spent feeding John. Normally Aeryn would've been irritated with his comments and questions about the food, but instead she would smile, realizing how much she had missed it.

When they finally finished, John shut his eyes and let out a content sigh. "Thanks Honey."

"Do you feel better?" she asked as she stroked his damp hair.

"Yeah," he said with a nod.

Aeryn set down the tray and carefully climbed on top of him. She laid her head on the crook of his neck and reached one hand up into his moist hair.

"John...why did the Establishment send you back?" Aeryn asked.

She felt his entire body expand as he inhaled deeply and slowly let it out. "They wanted me to spy on the Resistance."

"Why would they have _you _do that? They already have spies in the Resistance."

"Their Colonel wanted to kill me, but Vayarlla talked him out of it." He added in a mumble, "I have no idea why."

Aeryn went stiff and her brow furrowed. "I thought you said she was dead."

"I thought she was. But she's not."

"Did she..." Aeryn swallowed and licked her lips. "Did she do anything to you?"

John hesitated before answering. "Just the normal Establishment crap," he murmured as he ran his hands over her back.

"Was she the one that..." Aeryn shut her eyes and inhaled a shaky breath. "Was she the one that infected you?"

His hands fell still on her back and there was a heavy silence. John gently rolled her off him and sat up. He turned his back to her, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, and hung his head.

Aeryn's heart throbbed with concern, and she sat up close behind him. She softly touched his back and pressed her lips to his shoulder in a kiss.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"You have every right to ask, Aeryn," he said in a low voice. "I'm just not..." His voice died and he worked his jaw in silence.

"I know," Aeryn said as she slowly ran her palm over his back. She leaned forward to kiss his shoulder again.

John scrubbed his face with one hand, then said, "I should find Chiana. I owe her a big thanks."

"I would like to do the same, but later." She moved her hand to the nape of her neck and stroked his hair. "You need to rest."

"You could use some shut-eye yourself."

Aeryn smiled faintly and rested her chin on his shoulder. "I've missed you."

John shifted around to face her. He gazed at her with soft eyes as he brushed the back of his fingers over her cheek and jaw. Then he pushed her back down on the bed and pulled her close to him. Aeryn snuggled up against him, wrapping her arm around his waist and throwing her leg over his thigh.

For a while they both remained silent, enjoying the warmth and closeness of each other.

"Hey Aeryn?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you check on Little D at all since I got picked up by the Borg?"

"No, I was too distracted with you," she answered. "And how am I suppose to check on him if he's up on the command carrier?"

She asked the question with an edge of bitterness in her voice.

John sighed. "I dunno. I was just...I'm worried about him."

A sudden desire to see and hold their son overcame Aeryn. "I miss him," she confessed quietly.

His arms tightened around her and he kissed her temple. "I miss 'im too."

Anger suddenly filled her. "He better be in perfect health and undamaged, or Grayza's going to wish - "

"Aeryn, calm down," John said softly. "I'm sure D'Argo's fine. Grayza has no reason to hurt him."

They both knew that wasn't true, but arguing about it would accomplish nothing and they were both tired.

Aeryn sighed deeply and her anger slowly quelled. Worries about her child filled her mind, but her husband's embrace helped to ease her concerns. A strong desire for him pulsed through her body; she pushed him over onto his back, climbed on top of him and planted her mouth firmly against his.

She had taken him by surprise, but John happily responded to the kiss and brought his hands up into her hair. The kiss lengthened and deepened and before she knew it, Aeryn had both her hands in his damp hair and she was pressing her hips into his.

John abruptly ended the kiss, breathing huskily.

"Aeryn...we can't."

"Of course we can," she said against his mouth.

"Doctor's orders," he reminded her. "No sex until I'm clear of the Establishment STD."

Aeryn shook her head. "There's not enough inside you to infect me."

She kissed him again, hard and deep. But John cut it off quickly once again.

"Aeryn, we don't know that." He shook his head. "I can't take that risk. Besides, I'm not feeling real one-hundred percent, it wouldn't be much fun for you."

Aeryn smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips. "When you get better, then."

John returned her smile. "Oh hell yeah."

"We should rest now," Aeryn announced, and she slid off him.

"Yeah," John agreed. "And then we need to thank Pip."

**Chiana's stomach dropped when** the door to her cell opened and Kythe strode in. She shifted around nervously and twisted her wrists against the cuffs again. Kythe stood tall with his hands behind his back and a small smile on his face as he studied her.

Finally he shook his head and spoke. "Chiana, Chiana. I didn't believe it at first when I learned it was you we had caught. It has been a very long time."

"Not long enough," Chiana retorted with a scowl.

Kythe glanced at Vayarlla, then turned back to Chiana. He tilted his head to the side and stepped towards her. "Vayarlla tells me you're still the troublemaker you always were." He grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head back to growl in her ear. "And you were such a troublemaker. A real pain in the eema."

He forcefully pushed Chiana's head forward as he released his hold on her hair. He walked back around in front of her.

"I've never met anyone quite like you," Kythe said, his tone suddenly softer. "You were always so daring and rebellious." His eyes squinted into a sharp glare. "Always so loud and obnoxious."

Chiana scowled at him. "So why didn't ya just mind frell me and turn me into one of your zombies?"

Kythe smiled. "Surely you remember that we had a different purpose for you."

"It's the only frelling reason you let us go," Chiana said. "You frelling infected us so we'd spread it without even knowing!" She began to breathe deeper and she shifted around nervously again. "So what are you gonna do this time? Infect me with your new Contagion?"

"Ah, so the Resistance now knows of our new project," Kythe said ponderously. "And just how did they find out about that?"

Chiana pressed her lips into a thin line, regretting she had said anything.

Vayarlla stepped forward. "Perhaps Crichton has been discovered. He and Chiana were close." She cocked her head to the side. "Is that why you came for the cure?"

Chiana still remained silent.

"It is of no matter, they would have found out eventually," Kythe said. Then a wicked smile twisted his lips. "No, Chiana, we will not infect you. We have other plans for you." He touched her face with his fingers, running them over her skin. "We will use you to drag out Nerri."

Chiana's blood ran cold and she stared at Kythe in terror.

"No," she whispered. Then she shook her head vigorously and shouted, "No, you can't!"

Kythe dropped his hand and his smile widened. Then he turned to Vayarlla. "Send a transmission to Nerri." He looked over at Chiana. "Tell him that if he does not surrender himself to us, his dear sister will die a slow and painful death." Then he returned his gaze to Vayarlla. "And be sure to let him know that he has only five arns to make his choice."

He whirled around to leave, ignoring Chiana's loud screams of protest.

**John had a bad **feeling in his gut. It wasn't normal to get a call in the middle of the sleep cycle. And it was definitely not normal for it to be Nerri calling him.

The call had only been for him, but Aeryn came along as well. And when they reached Nerri's office, John was expecting Chiana to be inside. He frowned with disappointment when he found she wasn't.

He was also surprised to find Nerri in the posture he was in. The Nebari sat at a desk with his forehead in one hand and he was rubbing his eyes with his other hand. John and Aeryn exchanged looks before approaching.

"Hey, Nerri man," John greeted happily, despite how tired and annoyed he was at being woken. "What's up?"

Nerri dropped his hands and sat up straight. "They have Chiana," he announced coldly.

John stared at him. "What?"

"Who has Chiana?" asked Aeryn.

"The Establishment, of course!" Nerri snapped.

"What d'you mean they have her?" John asked, fear now swirling in his gut.

Nerri's black eyes rested on John, his gaze cold and piercing. "They caught her when she was retrieving the antidote for the new Contagion"

"Then who brought back the cure?" asked Aeryn.

"One of our people who was helping her," Nerri answered. His glare remained on John, his eyes gleaming with anger. "The Establishment has sent me a message."

Nerri picked up a vidchip and rammed it into a player on his desk. An image of Vayarlla popped up and John took a step back. Aeryn looked at him, concern written all over her face, but she remained still.

_"Captain Nerri of the Resistance,"_ the message began, Vayarlla's voice sounding electronic and monotone. _"We have possession of your sister Chiana. Surrender yourself to the Establishment, or she will die a slow and painful death. You have five arns to decide."_

The image faded out and silence followed. John felt like he had a rock in his stomach, and Nerri was glowering at him as though he might lunge over the desk and attack him at any second. Guilt over took John's fear and his chest tightened.

"My sister would not be in this situation if it weren't for you," Nerri growled through clamped teeth.

"You cannot blame this on John," Aeryn said firmly. "Chiana came up with the idea and volunteered to be the one to go."

But Nerri wasn't listening; he was still glaring at John. "She went in there for you. She risked her life for _you!_"

Aeryn stepped between the two men. "Blaming John will accomplish nothing. What are you going to do about Chiana?"

Nerri clamped his mouth shut tight, his jaw muscles flexing. Then, letting out a heavy sigh, he sank back in his chair. He looked suddenly worn out and broken.

"I'll just have to give myself over to them," he said quietly.

John stepped around Aeryn. "You can't do that. If you give yourself to the Establishment you'll just be helping them to win the war!"

"And they didn't say what they would do with Chiana if you surrender yourself," Aeryn added. "They may infect her with the Contagion or just kill her anyway."

"Are you suggesting that I let my sister die?" Nerri said, his voice thick with disgust.

"No, I have an idea." John glanced at the vidchip player and then quickly at his wife. She wasn't going to like this; she'd never agree to it. "I can go in and save Chiana."

Aeryn's head immediately snapped in his direction, her eyes wide and mouth parted.

"She does not need _you _to save her," Nerri said venomously.

"Just hear me out," John said. "The Establishment still thinks I'm infected with Contagion two-point-oh. I can go back there, say my cover was blown, that I still want to serve the greater good, and try get Chi outta there."

Nerri shook his head. "Chiana is _my_ sister, Crichton. I will find a way to deal with this."

"What the hell is your problem with me?" John asked, his voice low and dark. "Ever since I got here you've been bitchin' at me."

Nerri stared at him for a minute before saying, "I don't know what you're talking about."

John shook his head. "That's bull crap. I must've done something to piss you off."

"You are delusional, Crichton!" Nerri snarled.

"See, you're even doing it now," John pointed out. "Tell me what the hell your problem is with me!"

"I don't have to tell you anything!" Nerri barked as he got to his feet.

Nerri charged around his desk, heading for the door. But John grabbed his arm and roughly pushed him back against the wall.

"Listen up, kid," John growled. "We have to work together in order to get Chiana back alive. And we can't do that with you always about to bite my head off. So we're going to clear this up _right now_."

Their eyes remained locked for a moment before Nerri finally spoke.

"She cares about you...in a way that I have never seen her care for anyone."

John stared at Nerri in awkward silence, his expression now softer. Understanding and compassion washed over him.

"Listen to me, Nerri," John said. "You're Chiana's brother, her family. Nothing can replace that. Not ever. She loves you and she'd do anything for you. All she ever wanted was to find you. She just..." He stopped and pursed his lips in thought. "She's been through a lot, and recently, during the last war, we lost someone...very important to us, to her. You just have to give her some time to heal and get used to being around you again."

Nerri averted his eyes from John and nodded shyly.

John released him and took a step back. "Well um," he licked his lips and shyly scratched at his ear. "We only have five arns. We should get to work."

"Yes of course," Nerri said abruptly. "I will speak with my people."

John turned to Aeryn, who had a completely blank expression on her face. His throat got tight, knowing she was going to chew him out for his plan.

"Right," he said with a nod at Nerri. "We'll be in our quarters."

John stepped towards Aeryn and reached for her hand, but she turned away from him before he could. Swallowing hard, John followed her out the door.

**As soon as they** got back to their room, Aeryn spun around to face her husband.

"You're completely fahrbot, John!" she snapped. "You're going to get yourself killed!"

"Aeryn, I know it's crazy, but - "

"I just got you back, I"m not letting you do this." She said it in her firm and commanding tone, but tears were beginning to well in her eyes.

"Aeryn," he said softly. "We have to get Chiana back."

"I know that, John, but there must be other options."

"I have to do this, Aeryn," John said sternly.

"_Why?_" She took a step closer to him. "Why do _you_ have to do it?"

"Because Chiana is our friend! And I'm the only one that Vayarlla would trust to be around Chiana!"

"What makes you think that?"

"Because she knows that Chiana and I know each other," John explained. "I can tell her that I have the best chance of talking Chiana into serving the greater good."

Aeryn shook her head. "They want to kill her, John, not gain her loyalty!"

John gritted his teeth. "Aeryn...we owe this to her. And I don't trust anybody to get her outta there."

"Oh, so is that it?" Aeryn asked sardonically with an arch of her eyebrow.

"Dammit, Aeryn, would you stop being so difficult for _one_ microt?" John hissed.

"I've nearly lost you far too many frelling times in this war John!" she barked. "I am not going to let you go charge into the heart of the Establishment! It's suicide!"

"We don't have any other choice, Aeryn!" he shouted back. "Chiana only has five arns before she gets killed! That is not enough time to come up with another plan!" He paused, stroked her face with his fingertips and spoke with a gentle voice. "I have to do this, Aeryn."

Aeryn gazed at him and more tears glossed her eyes. With a shaking hand, she took his wrist and pulled his hand away from her face. After staring at each other in heavy silence for a moment, she shook her head.

"Frell you, Crichton."

"Aeryn - "

She stepped around him and walked swiftly towards the door.

John whirled around and called after her. "Aeryn, wait!"

But she ignored him, and stepping out the door, she disappeared around the corner and the door slid shut.

* * *

Well...it was sappy for most of the chapter. So there it is! Please let me know what you guys think! And I will try my darnest to get Chapter XIII up on Monday evening! Thanks for reading you guys! You're the best!

HRS


	13. Chapter XIII

**Author's Note:** Oh man, I think this was the most difficult chapter to write in this story so far! Gad! I had a lot of trouble with this! I hope I fixed everything! Anyways, quite a bit happens in this chapter. I worked pretty hard on this chapter, more than usual, so I hope that it's satisfactory to you guys. Anyways! Enjoy the read and please leave me feedback! I will die without feedback.

**CHAPTER XIII**

"_All in favor, show of hands."_

**-John Crichton: _We're So Screwed, Part 3 - La Bomba_**

* * *

**John pushed back the **edges of his long leather coat to rest his hands on his hips as he stepped inside the room; it was big, but no different from the rest of the rooms in the base. He ignored the hard twist in his stomach when Grayza turned to face him.

Grayza gave him a weak and forced smile. "Crichton, what a pleasant surprise." Her eyes sharpened with a cold gleam. "What do you want?"

"I just wanna have a little chat with you before I take off for the Establishment," John replied as he glanced around the room.

"If this is concerning your offspring," Grayza began. "I assure you, he is in perfect health."

John's dark gaze came to rest on her. "You're not being very reassuring."

"Your inability to trust is not my concern," Grayza growled. "Your child is fine, Crichton. I have no reason to cause him any harm, despite what you may believe."

John strode over to her, standing directly in front of her and glowering into her purple eyes. "He better be better than fine. You better be treating him like a prince. 'Cause when I get back, we're leaving. And he's coming with us." He shook his head. "You don't get to keep him."

"I don't _want _to keep him, Crichton," Grayza said with a shake of her head.

"Good."

John glared at her for a moment longer before turning around and leaving.

**Chiana jolted with attention** at the clank of the cell door opening. Vayarlla walked in, smiling faintly as usual.

"What do you want?" Chiana scowled.

"The message has been sent to your brother," Vayarlla reported. "Within four point five arns, we will know his decision."

Chiana shook her head. "There's no frelling way he'll give himself over to you!"

Vayarlla's smile widened and she cocked her head to the side. "You forget, Chiana, how well I know Nerri. He will do anything for you."

Chiana bristled with anger. "You don't know him. You don't know anything about him!"

"I often forget that I was once like you and Nerri," Vayarlla said. "A prisoner of the government, fighting against the greater good, trying to escape and live free, and wanting so desperately to crush the Establishment."

"You never wanted any of that!" Chiana spat.

"I did, as much as you and Nerri and all the others," said Vayarlla. "But I realized the futility resisting, I saw the benefits of serving the greater good, how the Establishment could help the galaxy tremendously."

"You mean _enslave _the galaxy," Chiana growled.

Vayarlla shook her head. "I pity you, that you will never feel the joy and contentment one receives from serving the greater good."

Chiana struggled against her cuffs. "I don't want your pity."

Vayarlla studied Chiana for a moment, still smiling with amusement. "I will return once your fate has been decided."

**The Nebari was saying **something important, John knew he was, but he just couldn't get himself to pay attention. He was thinking about Aeryn, which he had spent the last three quarters of an arn doing. He had walked around looking for her, but he hadn't seen her anywhere. He had called her on the comms, but she hadn't answered. And standing here now, getting briefed and prepared for his mission, he was really beginning to feel that he wouldn't see his wife again before he had to leave. He didn't want to leave when they were on bad terms, with her last words to him being _"Frell you, Crichton."_

Crichton. She hadn't called him that in a long time. _She must be really pissed off to use my last name_, John thought. _Can't really blame her, though._

The Nebari was still blabbing on about something. _If this guy keeps this up much longer Chi will be dead before I even get there_, John thought idly with a frown.

At that moment, the door swished open and Aeryn walked in. John's heart skipped at the sight of her. Her hair was pulled back into the standard Peacekeeper braid and she was wearing her long leather jacket. She looked absolutely beautiful.

She cantered over to him, her expression stern, and the Nebari's consistent talking halted.

"I'm coming with you," she said flatly to John.

Her tone of voice told him that she would not put up with any arguments. She was going with him - end of story.

John swallowed and asked, "You're sure?"

"Yes."

"Ah," the Nebari said. "Then you are going to need..." He walked off muttering to himself.

John couldn't take his eyes off her. Just seeing her again, being in her presence, made him feel so much better. His heart throbbed in his chest and he wanted to reach out and touch her, hold her. But that probably wasn't a good idea; she wasn't even looking at him.

"Aeryn, um..." He cleared his throat. "The Establishment...they're gonna wanna know how you got 'infected.'"

"Just tell them that you frelled me and I got infected. That's how it works, isn't it?" She still didn't look at him and her voice had remained completely level.

John opened his mouth to reply, but before he could speak, the Nebari came racing back.

"Now then," he began as he picked up a syringe. "This, once injected into your system, will make you appear infected by the new Contagion."

"How'd you do that?" Aeryn asked sharply.

"We were able to derive a serum from the samples we retrieved from Crichton."

"Whoa, wait a minute!" John protested.

The Nebari looked at him. "It is completely harmless."

"It damn well better be! Have you tested it yet?"

"It's fine," Aeryn said before the Nebari could answer. "Go ahead and inject it."

John felt compelled to argue, but he didn't open his mouth. The Nebari glanced at John before approaching Aeryn with the syringe.

"What about Crichton?" Aeryn asked once the procedure was complete.

John grimaced at her use of his last name again.

"He doesn't need it," the Nebari said. "The traces of the new Contagion still inside his body will identify him as infected." He looked at John. "Speaking of which, Crichton, you should go in for another checkup before you leave."

John swallowed and nodded. "Right, sure."

"Now," the Nebari went on, turning back to Aeryn. "As I was telling Crichton when you entered..."

**Much to John's relief,** his checkup only took about five minutes. Aeryn accompanied him, but she rarely looked at him and didn't say a word to him. It was making his heart sink lower and lower by the minute.

He knew he probably deserved it, but it was driving him crazy. And he wouldn't be able to work at full capacity at the Establishment if there was still tension between them. He had to fix this before they left.

Only he didn't know how. Every time he opened his mouth to say something to her, words failed him. And when they stepped into the elevator that was to take them up to the hangar, the tension was so heavy he could feel it weighing on his shoulders.

As the elevator took them back up towards the surface, humming quietly, Aeryn stood with her back straight, hands at her sides and her eyes forward. John continuously glanced at her, chewing on his lip, the silence gnawing at him. The elevator ride lasted a long time, and the quiet soon became unbearable.

"Aeryn?" He said it cautiously, shyly.

"What?" Her clipped tone made him jump.

John gazed at her for a moment, not knowing what to say. He didn't want to screw it up even more; he had to make this right - somehow.

He blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. "I'm glad you're coming with me."

That didn't sound right; it wasn't good enough. He wanted to take it back and try again.

Aeryn made no response and continued to stare straight ahead.

Licking his lips and swallowing, John tried to think of something else to say. He pursed his lips as he gazed at her, his stomach curling. He ached to touch her, to just feel her creamy skin and silky hair beneath his fingertips. But he was afraid that if he touched her she'd knock his head off. _God, I'm such a wimp_, he thought to himself.

"Aeryn," he tried again. "I can't..." He moved his jaw side to side, looking for words. He quickly gave up, turning away from her and looking down at his feet. "Never mind," he muttered.

Much to his relief, the elevator came to a stop. He needed to get out of here and get some fresh air, some place where he didn't feel trapped. Aeryn walked through the doors before they were even fully open. She probably wanted out as badly as he did.

Nerri stood right outside the elevator, waiting for them. Aeryn walked passed him without a glance in his direction, but John stopped beside him.

Nerri glanced at Aeryn's retreating form, then looked at John. "Did preparations go well?"

"Well, there's problems with the wife, but other than that, yeah," John said. "So this is the garage, huh?"

"Our biggest," Nerri answered.

"And how do we get from here to the surface?" asked John.

"The vessel we have provided you with has an autopilot that will take you through a series of tunnels up to the surface," Nerri explained.

John raised his eyebrows and nodded approvingly. "Cool."

"I'm assuming you know where the Establishment headquarters is located?"

"Oh yeah," John nodded. "I remember that."

"It will take little over an arn for you to get there, once you reach the surface."

"How much time is left?" John asked, staring the Nebari in the eye.

Nerri swallowed before replying in a quiet voice. "About two arns."

"So that gives me about an arn to get Chiana out. Damn."

"You could cause a distraction," Nerri said ponderously. "Something that would provide you with more time to escape."

"Cause all hell to break loose. Yup, I've done that before," John said with a grimace. _First Scorpy's command carrier, then Katratzi, and now the Establishment HQ._

Nerri seemed to have read John's thoughts by the look on his face. "It's only a suggestion, Crichton. I don't want you to do anything that will make this war worse."

"Yeah, I hate making big messes," John mumbled.

They came to a stop in front of a small Nebari vessel. Aeryn looked over at them, then walked up the boarding ramp.

"Crichton..."

John turned to face Nerri.

Nerri hesitated before going on. "I wish you the best on this mission."

John smiled faintly. "Thanks man." He held out his hand and Nerri glanced at it cautiously before hesitantly reaching his hand out as well.

"Is this a custom amongst your species?" Nerri asked as their hands clasped.

"Yeah," John nodded. "It's called a handshake."

"For occasions such as this?"

"Well, it's used for a lot of things, but yeah."

Nerri smiled slightly as they released their hands. Then a grim look shadowed his features.

"Hey," John said, sounding a bit concerned. "I'm bringing her back."

Nerri met John's eyes, then nodded.

"We'll be back soon," John said as he turned and walked towards the boarding ramp. "Wish us luck and keep your fingers crossed!" he called back, and he stepped onto the ramp.

**John had never been** so fidgety in his life. The silence in the ship was worse than it had been in the elevator. He couldn't sit through this for over an arn - it'd drive him mad.

He glanced at Aeryn out the corner of his eye. She was sitting upright and staring straight ahead out the view screen. The expression on her face was still blank; that look always made his stomach knot up and made his heart ache.

Maybe if he just started kissing her, she'd finally give in. He ran his tongue over his lips; kissing her seemed like something forbidden now. Kissing, he decided, could wait. Right now he just wanted to break the silence and ease the tension.

"Aeryn...are you sure you wanna do this?" he asked cautiously.

"Of course I'm sure," she replied in a monotone.

John swallowed and looked away from her. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I'm sorry for all this crap."

"As you should be."

His heart sunk down to his stomach. He didn't know what to do, how to make this better. So he decided to just ask.

"Aeryn, what do I do?" he asked softly. "How do I fix this?" He looked over at her. "What do you want me to do?"

Aeryn inhaled deeply through her nose and still did not face him. "You get us out of there alive."

John shut his eyes and sighed shakily. "Aeryn, please...I can't do this with you acting like this."

"Well you're going to have to," she said matter-of-factly.

His throat went dry and he felt trapped again. He wanted to get out, put some space between them for a while so he could think clearly. But this stupid ship was no bigger than one of Moya's transport pods; there was nowhere to go.

He scrubbed at his face with one hand, looking desperately for a way to make his wife forgive him.

"You know, you can't stay mad at me forever," John mumbled into his palm. She made no response and he dropped his hand. "Come on, Aeryn! Do you really wanna sit through an arn like this?"

Again, she didn't reply.

John sighed heavily. "God, Aeryn! Just tell me what I have to do! I can't take this anymore!"

She took in a shuddering breath and turned her head away from him; but not before he saw the tears spring to her eyes. John's heart skipped with hope.

Pursing his lips, he rose to his feet and walked around behind her seat. Sinking to his knees, he leaned against her, nuzzling his nose into her hair and brushed his lips over her ear and neck.

"John, don't," she said weakly.

Back to his first name again, that was good. She most certainly wasn't protesting violently like he had feared. And she didn't sound like she actually wanted him to stop; her voice had been husky with desire and longing. He smiled faintly against her skin.

Sliding his fingers under the collar of her leather jacket, he pulled her clothes out of the way enough so that he could get at the crook of her neck. He kissed her tenderly at first, then opened his mouth wide against her creamy skin and pushed his tongue against her.

Aeryn abruptly stood up, pulling away from him. "Stop it, John," she growled.

His racing heart immediately slowed down and he also got to his feet. "Aeryn, I'm trying to make up here! Honey, please," he begged as he took a step toward her. "I know you're mad - "

"Yes, I'm mad, John!" she shouted, whirling around to face him. "Every time I get you back, we get five microts together and then something else happens!"

"You're blaming that on _me?_"

"You came up with this plan, John," she said sharply. "You volunteered to do it."

"Yeah, but Aeryn, you're acting like everything that's happened so far is my fault!"

"You're the one who agreed to take part in this war!" Aeryn barked.

"Oh, so now we're back to that!" John said, throwing his hands up into the air. "God, Aeryn, gimme a break! It's not my fault that I got sucked down a wormhole, that the Ancients put their crap in my head, that the entire universe found out and started chasing our asses, it's not my fault that I became the center of the biggest war in the galaxy and it's not my fault that Grayza pulled us into this one!"

John fell silent, breathing heavily, and his face was flushed with anger. Aeryn was staring at him, her expression still stern, but her eyes were now glassy. John's anger was pushed aside by heartache; the look his wife had on her face always made his stomach melt. His own expression softened and he worked his jaw in effort to find the right words.

He cautiously approached her, and reaching out, took her in his arms; he was relieved that she let him. She snuggled close against him, buried her face into the crook of his neck and clung to him.

They stood like that briefly before Aeryn lifted her head and pulled him in for a hard kiss. She pushed her lips against his fiercely, driving her tongue deep into his mouth. Adrenaline rushed through John's body and he pushed her back against the wall.

His mind had turned to mush, but somewhere back in the corner of his mind a voice spoke to him: _What are you doing, you idiot? You've still got the Contagion inside you!_

He moaned with disappointment and reluctance into Aeryn's mouth, but she took it differently and threw her legs around his hips.

With a great amount of effort, John pulled away from her mouth. Her eyes remained closed as she waited to feel his mouth again elsewhere; but when it didn't happen her brow creased and she opened her eyes.

John sighed and rested his forehead against hers, catching his breath and waiting for his body to calm down.

Aeryn caressed his face. "John, I'm sorry for -"

"Don't," he interrupted. "It's not that."

"Then what's the matter?" she asked, her voice gentle and worried.

"I've got traces of the Contagion inside me, Aeryn," he reminded her.

Aeryn sighed and nudged his nose with hers. "We might not make it out of this, John. This could be our last chance."

John lifted his head and met her gaze, his brow furrowed. "Since when did we develop that attitude? We've gone head-first into things believing we'd come out okay."

"I'm speaking from experience, John."

And he knew by the look in her eyes that she was talking about the other Crichton, the one who had died. He didn't know much, but he did know that they had gone to Dam-Ba-Da believing that they would come back, that they had all the time in the world.

The furrow of his eyebrows deepened and he lifted his hand to graze his fingertips over her cheek. "Honey, as much as I would love spending the next arn making love to you, I can't. I could infect you, and I...I couldn't stand that."

"It's just a precaution, John. I asked one of the nurses when you were getting your last checkup," Aeryn informed him. Then she shook her head. "There's nowhere near enough of the Contagion in you to infect anything."

His lips quirked into a small smile. "You asked them about it? What, were you planning this?"

Aeryn bit her lip and tried to suppress a smile. "No, I was just curious."

"Yeah right," John retorted playfully. Then he became serious again and shook his head. "I've got the new and improved version and they don't know squat about it, Aeryn. It could - "

"For the love of Cholak, John! _Shut up!_"

She slammed her mouth over his again and kept her hands on his head so that he couldn't pull away. And tightening her legs around his waist, she pulled him hard against her.

John finally gave in, and moaning into her mouth, he pulled her down to the floor.

**"Aeryn, take your hand **off your pulse pistol," John ordered in a murmur as they waited for the boarding ramp to finish declining.

She shot him a sharp look, and he said, "We're suppose to be happy to be here, remember?"

Aeryn reluctantly took her hand off her pulse pistol and flexed her fingers.

John took these last few microts of time to admire her. Her skin was flushed from their activities during the last arn, and her hair was now flowing freely around her shoulders (courtesy of himself). She looked absolutely amazing.

The clunk of the ramp hitting the floor brought him back to reality.

"You know how to act, right?" he asked quietly, gazing at the bottom of the boarding ramp.

"Yes," said Aeryn.

John swallowed and muttered, "May the Force be with us."

He headed down the ramp with Aeryn close behind him. He scanned their surroundings, noting that this was a different hangar from the one he had been in before. His insides churned at the sight of Vayarlla and four soldiers waiting for him.

He put on a smile that he hoped looked genuine; it was difficult not to grimace and pull out Winona on the Nebari woman. And hopefully Aeryn was making herself look decently happy; he didn't want to risk a glance to check.

Vayarlla beamed at him as she stepped forward to meet them, her arms outstretched. "My dear John Crichton! I am deeply pleased to see you once again! Welcome home!"

He stiffened as she pulled him into a tight hug, but he quickly regained his senses and responded to the embrace.

"I'm happy to see you too, Vayarlla," John said cheerfully, and he spared a quick glance at Aeryn; he could see the anger that she was trying to hide.

"I have been most concerned for you," Vayarlla said as they pulled back from the embrace. "One of the Resistance spies had gotten a hold of one of the new antidotes. I feared they had gotten it for you."

"Well, they did find out about me," said John. "But I got out before they could try to change me back."

Vayarlla's eyes sparkled as she smiled. "I'm very glad." Then her eyes rested on Aeryn, and she cocked her head to the side with interest. "You must be Johnny dear's mate, Aeryn Sun." She looked back at John with sharp eyes. "Why did you bring her here?"

"It's okay V, she's one of us now," John said pridefully.

"Really?" Vayarlla said with an arch of her eyebrow. "You infected her?"

John looked at Aeryn and smiled shyly. "Yeah."

"I commend you, my dear John," said Vayarlla as she turned to face him. "But you were under strict orders not to transfer the Contagion to anyone."

"My cover got blown," John started. "I didn't wanna leave her behind; I wanted her to join us in serving the greater good."

Vayarlla looked at Aeryn again, a ponderous look on her face. Then she smiled and said, "Then I welcome you, Officer Sun."

"Thank you," Aeryn replied with a wide smile. "It's an honor to be here."

"It is always uplifting when another joins us," Vayarlla said joyously.

John swallowed in a dry throat. "Hey V, I hear you guys got Chiana."

"That is correct, my dear John," Vayarlla said as she returned her gaze to him. "We caught her helping a Resistance agent with stealing the antidote."

"We saw the threat you sent to Nerri," Aeryn said.

"Did you?" Vayarlla asked with a tilt of her head.

"How much time is left?" asked John, trying not to sound too worried.

"Three quarters of an arn," Vayarlla answered. "So unless we hear from Nerri in that time, Chiana will die."

"But...we won't actually kill her, will we?" John asked. "She could do so much for the greater good, if only she could be made to see..."

Vayarlla smiled slightly. "Do you worry for her, my dear John?"

"I just want to give her a chance," John said hopefully. "Try to convince her that serving the greater good is the right thing to do. Can I see her?"

Vayarlla regarded him with sharp eyes for a moment. "I will speak with Kythe," she said slowly. "In the meantime, these kind gentlemen will lead you to your quarters where you may rest." She gestured to the four soldiers standing behind her.

John put on another beaming smile and took Aeryn's hand in his. "Come on, Honey. I want you to see the most wonderful place in the universe."

**John's cheeks were beginning** to hurt from so much smiling, and he quickly got sick of pointing out things that were supposed to be magnificent to Aeryn. He could tell that she was done with pretending as well.

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, encouraging her to keep going as least until they reached their room. But even there, John knew, they would have to keep pretending. Hidden cameras would be watching and listening to them, just like everywhere in the Establishment headquarters.

Suddenly one of the soldiers seized John's arm and pulled him close as they walked, making John jump with surprise. "Your room has been cleaned," the soldier whispered into John's ear. "It is safe for you there."

John caught the questions on the tip of his tongue and swallowed them. Apparently this soldier was a Resistance agent. He glanced at Aeryn, who had noticed the soldier's movement and stiffened, but she continued to act joyous at being here.

"This way!" the soldier growled, and pushed them into a corridor.

Once they reached the door, the soldier turned to them and said gruffly, "Vayarlla will speak with you shortly." And he and the other soldiers marched off.

John's shoulders felt lighter as he stepped into the room. But at the same time he felt sick and worn. Unpleasant memories had been flashing through his head ever since he had laid eyes on Vayarlla.

He ran a hand over his face and sunk down on the bed. "It's okay to talk in here," he muttered to Aeryn. "Some of the Resistance agents swept it for us. Nerri must've given 'em a heads up."

He was expecting her to put up some kind of argument, but instead he felt the bed sink lower with her weight as she sat down beside him.

He took a deep breath and let it out shakily as he shut his eyes and tried to push away the vile memory playing in his head. Aeryn's gentle fingers stroked the hair on the nape of his neck.

"It was her, wasn't it? Vayarlla."

"Yeah," John said with a nod.

Aeryn moved her hand to graze her fingertips over the dark bruise on his cheek. "I won't let her touch you ever again," she promised softly.

He let out a small sigh as he reached around her waist to pull her closer. She leaned into him and protectively wrapped her arms around him.

"Aeryn, we don't have a lot of time," he said in a low tone.

She took in a deep breath before speaking. "I know. But we can't go and see Chiana without permission. And there's no way to get her out of here without getting caught."

"We need a distraction," John said. "A big one."

**Kythe worked his jaw **ponderously. "Do you believe he is still infected?"

"He seems to be," Vayarlla answered. "The scans indicated both him and his mate to be cleansed."

"And do you believe what he said about Nerri?"

"I believe that he heard that. But whether or not Nerri was telling the truth..." She shook her head. "I don't know."

Kythe thought a moment before speaking. "We will wait to hear from Nerri before we make any decisions. Go ahead and permit Crichton to see Chiana. He may be right; there could be value in turning her." He turned his sharp eyes to her. "But make sure they are both watched closely at all times."

Vayarlla nodded. "Of course."

"I don't trust him, this John Crichton," Kythe snarled. "Even if he's infected. I don't like him."

"But he has been of use," she reminded him.

"Very little," he scowled. "I don't see why you have so much interest in him."

Vayarlla smiled broadly and her dark eyes gleamed. "He is...special, different, unique."

Kythe glowered at her. "Don't get too attached to him, Vayarlla. He won't be around much longer."

**When they heard the** sound of the door swishing open, John and Aeryn pushed away from each other and leapt to their feet. Both of them had slapped their hands to their thigh, gripping their pulse pistols and ready for action. John promptly realized this mistake and hastily removed his hand from Winona; Aeryn, however, kept her hand firmly planted on her pulse pistol.

John had never before seen the Nebari that had entered. John and Aeryn's swift movements must have startled him, because he was standing tense and alert with wide eyes.

"Who the frell are you?" Aeryn asked sharply.

The Nebari did not reply immediately. He glanced between the two of them, then finally rested his eyes on John. "Are you John Crichton?" he asked cautiously.

John nodded. "Yeah, that's me."

The Nebari relaxed and straightened himself. "My name is Crixque. I'm an agent for the Resistance."

"Prove it," Aeryn demanded.

Crixque looked offended, but he complied. "I was sent here nearly ten cycles ago, I've risen to the rank of Captain in the Establishment. My ID code in the Resistance is XV07K6349Z, regiment D4-12 - "

"That's enough," John said, holding up his hand. "We got it, you're a good guy. What do you want?"

"Nerri sent me word of your arrival and mission," Crixque explained, his dark eyes shifting back to John. "He ordered that I help you in any way that you require."

"So you know that we're here to rescue Chiana," Aeryn stated in a firm tone.

Crixque nodded curtly. "That is correct."

"Good, we could most definitely use your help," John said. "We know Chiana's locked up tight and this place is full of surveillance. We need a way to get her out of here and back home without the entire neighborhood noticing."

"You came here without a plan?" Crixque asked, obviously disgusted.

"We didn't have time to come up with a strategy," said Aeryn. "So any suggestions or ideas would be helpful."

Crixque shook his head. "To accomplish what you desire would require a catastrophic distraction."

John sighed heavily and squeeze the bridge of his nose. "Great," he mumbled. "Big messes."

"What about an explosion?" Aeryn suggested.

"_What?_ John snapped upright with shock.

Crixque didn't look like he was fond of the idea either, but he voiced no protests. "To get the amount of attention that you wish, it would have to be a rather large explosion."

"Aeryn, you can't be serious!" John protested.

"Why not?" she asked.

"For a number of reasons!" John exclaimed. "The biggest being that would screw up this war even more than it already is. And my death count is already thousands too many! Besides, I bet that more than half the people here are infected with the Contagion! Those are lives that could be saved!"

Aeryn turned her sharp gaze to her husband. "John, did you honestly come here believing that we wouldn't have to take a single life?"

John stared at his wife, aghast. He just couldn't believe that she had suggested such an idea.

"Aeryn, we've already blown up enough big buildings and ships, we don't need any more added to the list!"

"Although I don't see why it matters," Crixque cut in. "There are plenty of ways to escape this building in time. Some will survive. However, I must agree with Crichton that an action such as this would worsen the condition of this war."

"What if it were an explosion big enough to level this building?" asked Aeryn. "Big enough to wipe it out? That would nearly win the war, wouldn't it?"

"Yes," Crixque said slowly, thinking it over.

"How would _we_ get out in time?" John interrupted.

"That part is easy," Crixque said.

"Where would be the most effective place for an explosion?" Aeryn asked.

"One of the middle levels," said Crixque. "It would collapse the upper levels and crush the lower ones. It would leave this place in ruins."

"I don't agree with this!" John said firmly. "There has to be another way!"

"If it is done right, the Resistance would effectively win the war, and the destruction of the nerve center for the Establishment would have a ripple effect, causing their outposts throughout the galaxy to die," Crixque explained.

"Wait a second," said John. "It can't be that easy! If it were, then someone would've done it a long time ago!"

Crixque shook his head. "It is no where near as easy as it sounds, it will take much work."

"I still don't buy it. If it could be done so easily then the Resistance would've done it by now," John said.

"We'll figure it out!" Aeryn cut in. "Anything can be destroyed by an explosion, we just have to find the weakest point."

John pursed his lips in anger, glaring at both of them. "I'm not doing this."

"John -"

"I won't do it, Aeryn!" he shouted as he jutted a finger at her. "I am not going to keep doing this terrorist crap! I'm done with causing explosions and deaths and big messes!"

Aeryn took a step towards him. "I don't like it either, John, but this is the best way. It'll end the war and it'll save Chiana."

"Yeah right! We'll get squashed trying to get outta here!"

"I know a way that is an easy escape," Crixque said. "It's fast and safe."

"How many people know about this escape route?" John asked coldy.

Crixque shook his head. "People will be too concentrated on saving their own lives. No one will be paying attention to you."

"Is there something we can use as the explosive device?" Aeryn asked Crixque.

He nodded to her. "I can handle that. But it'll will take about half an arn before it will be ready."

John shook his head. "We may not have that much time. And besides, I'm gonna have to be with Chiana where ever she is in order to get her out!"

"If we time it correctly, it can be done," said Crixque.

"Get to work on it," Aeryn ordered. "Let us know when it's ready, John will visit Chiana and I'll signal you to detonate."

Crixque nodded curtly. "Right. I will be sure to provide you with directions to the escape route."

"Hey, wait a minute," John started. "I still don't think - hey!"

Crixque had ignored John's calls and stepped hurriedly out of the room.

John pressed his mouth into a thin line and breathed heavily. He glanced at Aeryn, his eyes dark with anger, and mumbled under his breath, "I've turned into a frelling terrorist."

* * *

Okay, don't get your mivonks in a twist! The Plan will be explained in further detail next chapter. It's not going to be as easy as setting off a bomb, obviously Anyways! Please let me know what you think! I'll try to get Ch.14 up as soon as I can. Thanks all for reading! 

HRS


	14. Chapter XIV

**Author's Note:** Hey guys, sorry that this is late! I got a bit...distracted, with Star Wars Episode III. Okay well I was planning on this being longer but I'm not gonna be around this weekend so I don't have the time to get it all done before I leave. So after this, I'm sorry to say, there are only two more chapters. But we'll get to that when the time comes! Keep smiling for now! Anyways, hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I'll try to get some work done on Chapter 15 while I'm away, and get it up soon after I come back. Anywho, on to reading.

**CHAPTER XIV**

"_Chiana dear...I'm not mind cleansed."_

**-John Crichton: _A Clockwork Nebari_**

* * *

****

**John paced around the** room, constantly rubbing at his face. Neither he nor Aeryn had spoken since Crixque had left a few minutes ago; John was too angry and too busy trying to come up with a better plan.

Aeryn stood in place, watching him in silence. She had decided to be patient and let him be the first to speak, but several minutes had passed and she was quickly losing that patience.

"John?"

He didn't respond and continued to stride back and forth, still scrubbing his face.

"_John?_" she asked again, her tone louder and firmer this time.

"What?" His voice was flat and he had not stopped pacing.

Aeryn pursed her lips briefly, then said, "This is our only option."

John shook his head and wiped his hand over his mouth. "No it's not. There has to be another way. There's always another way."

"John -"

"We just need more time," he went on, thinking out loud. "If we could somehow convince them to keep Chiana alive -"

Both he and Aeryn whirled around at the sound of the door opening. Vayarlla walked in; John shuddered and his throat tightened into a knot.

He quickly put on a smile and tried to pretend to be happy to see her. "Hey V. Did you talk to the big boss man?"

Vayarlla smiled at him and John saw Aeryn with anger out of the corner of his eye. _Don't do anything stupid, _John silently begged. _Just keep calm, Aeryn. Keeping smiling._

"Yes, I have spoken with Kythe," Vayarlla answered. "He will allow you to see Chiana."

John's heart skipped a beat. "When?"

"Any time you wish."

John cast a quick glance in Aeryn's direction, who had her dark eyes set on Vayarlla.

"Good," John said enthusiastically. "Let's go now."

Aeryn jolted with sudden awareness and snapped her head over to look at him.

John smiled at her sheepishly, walked over to her, took her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly. "Go for a walk, Honey. Get to know the place. It's very beautiful, you'll enjoy it. I'll come and find you when I'm done, okay?"

She just stared at him, her eyes sharp with disapproval. He silently begged her, his eyes pleading with her while his heart hammered in his chest. Finally she smiled at him and nodded slightly.

"Okay," she said quietly.

He knew that at this moment she was suppressing a large amount of anger and was probably swearing at him inside her head.

John smiled at her once more, then turned to Vayarlla who was watching them with a sharp gaze. "Alrighty, let's go."

Vayarlla smiled at him, and walking over to him, she put her arm over his shoulders and said, "Come with me, Johnny dear. I will take you to Chiana."

**John shifted his eyes** around, looking at all the security and surveillance, entrances and exits, how the controls and doors worked, where cameras and guard positions were. The cell block had tighter security than he had imagined, which put a small dampen on his hopes. Aeryn and Crixque were right, the only way to get all the people's attention in here would be with a very big distraction. But maybe...maybe it didn't have to be an explosion to level the building. Maybe they could -

"Here we are," Vayarlla announced, and they came to a stop at one of the many heavy, black doors.

"Chi's in there?" John asked.

"That is correct," Vayarlla nodded.

John pursed his lips as he surveyed the door. It definitely had it's own amount of security to ensure it stayed locked. He wouldn't be able to get in there without help.

"Have you changed your mind?" asked Vayarlla with a cock of her head. "Do you not wish to see her now?"

"No, no, I'm just...thinking about what to say to her," he lied. He averted his eyes from her and rubbed his hand over his mouth.

Vayarlla smiled faintly. "I'm sure you will do just fine, my dear John."

He sighed and nodded. Then looking at her again, he asked, "Am I permitted to go in alone? It's just that I think I may have a better chance if it's just me. She might be intimidated if you're there."

She nodded. "I understand. You may enter alone. I will wait for you here."

John smiled at her appreciatively. "Thanks V."

Vayarlla stepped up to the door, completed the appropriate security procedures and a loud clank rang out before the door slid open. John swallowed and stepped inside, he was glad when the door slid shut behind him.

His stomach curled into a tight knot when he saw Chiana. She was hanging limp from the cuffs that secured her arms above her head, her wrists were bloodied and her head hung forward. He swallowed hard and fought back the urge to race over to her and release her; he knew that the Borg were watching them.

Instead, he slowly approached her and stood directly in front of her. He waited for her to move, to speak, but she did neither. Worry pulsed through his veins and he swallowed again.

"Chiana?" He spoke quietly, afraid that if he spoke any louder his voice would tremble and give him away.

She shifted her head slightly, then went still again.

"Pip?" John tried again, and this time he reached out to touch her face.

She made a small sound that made his heart throb and she lifted her head. Her eyes fluttered open and her half-lidded cat eyes gazed up into his. He smiled faintly at her, relief rushing through him. She stared at him blankly and said weakly, "C-Crichton?"

"Yeah Chi, it's me."

She continued to stare at him with a dazed expression, then comprehension changed her features to a look of fear. "Wh-wha-what are you doing here? Wh-what's going on?"

Her eyes were wide open now, and she stood up straight.

"Pip, it's okay," he tried to assure her.

"N-no...th-they...y-you're suppose to be cured!" she said loudly, panic laced in her voice. "They couldn't have frelled you again!"

"Chiana, stop," he said firmly as he took her into his arms. She stiffened against him and breathed heavily. He pressed his mouth against her ear and said in a low whisper, "I'm fine, Chiana, it's me. Aeryn and I are here for you, just play along."

For a second she didn't seem to believe him, but them he felt her relax in his embrace.

John pulled back and smiled at her. "I'm fine, Chiana, I've never been happier. Serving the greater good has filled me with such joy and contentment."

Chiana faced him, looking now more excited and determined. "What do you want, Crichton? If you've come to preach Establishment dren at me I don't want it!"

He walked around behind her and leaned in to her ear again. "You don't know what you're missing out on, Chiana," he said loudly, then he whispered, "Aeryn and I are working on a plan to get you out. We just need some more time. Your time is almost up and they'll kill you."

She growled at him. "I know what I'm missing, Crichton. I'm missing out on killing and mind frelling people and infecting them with the Contagion!" she spat. "How is any of that doing any good?"

John sighed and leaned in to her other side. "Chiana, you need to let me help you to understand." He lowered his voice to a whisper again. "I'll buy us some more time. Next time I come back we'll be gettin' out of here."

"I don't want to understand anything," she snarled as she tried to pull away from him.

"Chiana please," he begged. "I don't want you to die."

She breathed heavily for a minute, then said shakily, "Just go away Crichton. Leave me alone."

John let out a sigh and walked around in front of her again. He gave her what he hoped was a sorrowful look, then turned to leave.

Vayarlla was waiting outside the door, standing straight with her hands behind her back. She turned to face him, and with a tilt of her head, asked, "How did it go?"

John put even more sorrow into his expression and shook his head. "She won't listen," he said quietly.

"Chiana always was stubborn and arrogant."

His head snapped up and he looked at her in surprise. "Always? Do you know her from before?"

"Oh yes, we were once prisoners of the Establishment together." Her eyes glazed over and she spoke softly, sounding distant, in another place. "So many cycles ago..."

She snapped back into reality and looked at John. "Shall I return you to your quarters?"

"Nah, you don't have to do that," John said with a shake of his head. "I know the way. Thanks V."

**When John stepped into** his quarters and found the room empty, his heart sunk with disappointment. He wanted to see Aeryn. After being around Vayarlla he felt shaken and dirty; he just wanted to be in his wife's presence, even if she was angry with him.

"Wife's out for a walk," he reminded himself in a mumble.

He gave his eyes a good hard scrub for a minute, then letting out a heavy sigh, he called through his comms. "Hey Aeryn, where are you?"

"_I'm just enjoying the magnificence of the Establishment, John_," Aeryn's voice crackled through the comms.

"Well...do you mind coming back to the suite? I miss ya."

"_I'll be there shortly_."

And a faint click signified the closing of the channel.

Letting out a deep breath, he sat down on the edge of the bed and waited for Aeryn to show up.

She arrived quickly, much to his relief. He must've had everything he was feeling out on his face because she immediately rushed over to him.

"What happened? Did she do anything to you? Did she touch you?" Aeryn asked urgently, examining him with her eyes and hands.

"I'm fine," he lied.

"That doesn't answer my question."

He just gazed at her, letting her presence wash over and sooth him. She leaned forward and tilted her mouth up to his in a gentle kiss, which she quickly deepened.

John was a bit baffled by this at first, but he soon realized what she was doing. She had seen Vayarlla touch him by putting her arm around his shoulders, and he had been with the Nebari for the last half arn. Aeryn was claiming him, showing that he belonged to her.

"How's Chiana?" Aeryn asked once they parted. "Is she all right?"

"She's doin' okay," he replied. "Listen, I got a good look at all the security over there, and I got an idea."

"We already have a plan, John," she reminded him firmly.

"Well mine will actually work and it isn't as dangerous."

"Your plans never work."

"They have a few times."

Aeryn shook her head. "We don't have time to prepare for something else."

"Just hear me out, Aeryn," John pleaded.

At that moment, Crixque walked in and John smiled brightly. "Quickchex! Right on time!"

Crixque gave John a slightly irritated look and said, "The explosive - "

"Doesn't matter," John said with a wave of his hand. "Got a new plan."

"What?" Crixque said.

"Just shut up and listen," John ordered as he put his hands on his hips.

Both Aeryn and Crixque were watching him intently, waiting for him to explain his new idea.

John swallowed before beginning. "I figure we can distract the security over at the cell block with a smaller explosion in that area. One big enough to put everyone in a panic and run for it. Then I can go in and snag Chiana."

"She would be recognized," Crixque snarled. "And you would be the most likely suspect, they would be looking for you as well. Not to mention that it would complicate the war - "

"I'm not done," John growled at him. "I know all that. I just wanna do this in a way that doesn't involve mass murder." He let out a heavy sigh and continued. "Now, once I nap Chi and we get outta the prison, we can set off multiple explosions scattered throughout the building."

"What would that do?" Crixque asked.

"Well for starters it would distract everybody else from looking for us," John pointed out. "And it would cripple this building. Just like the big bomb plan, only this is safer, it gives us and everyone else enough time to escape and it'll effectively end the war."

"If everyone here escapes, they'll just run to other Establishment bases and outposts," said Aeryn.

Crixque shook his head. "Maybe, but that would not help them much. All those branches get their resources from here. Without their nerve center, the remaining cells of the Establishment would progressively die." He looked over at Crichton. "This could work, but there is a problem."

John's heart stopped. "What?"

"Chiana does not have that long to live. It will take a lot of time to prepare for this."

"Oh yeah, I have an idea for that," John said. "We call up Nerri and tell him to surrender himself to the Estabalishment."

"_What?_" Crixque hissed.

"Chill out, I don't mean for real. He's just gonna tell them that," John said. "It's over an arn's trip to get here from where he's at, that should be plenty of time."

"And what if they don't believe him?" Aeryn asked.

"Why wouldn't they?" John said to her.

"Nerri may not agree to this," Crixque pointed out to them. "It is a very dangerous and risky plan."

"Well it's better than what you came up with!" John snapped.

"Is there a way we can even contact him?" Aeryn asked Crixque.

Crixque nodded. "There is."

"Good," John said. "Then let's get to it."

**"_That's_ your special secret** communications device?" John asked with surprise. "That looks like a toy from K-Mart!"

Crixque threw a glare at John from over his shoulder as they hunched down over the device. Aeryn remained standing behind them with her hand on her pulse pistol, keeping guard incase anyone walked in on them.

"Don't judge things by their appearance, Crichton," Crixque growled. "This device works very well."

John frowned and raised his eyebrows. "I don't see how."

Crixque fiddled with the device (what looked like just a piece of plastic to John) for a minute, then it made a small beeping sound and he set it down on the ground.

John watched with interest, waiting to see what the device could actually do. Aeryn wasn't paying any attention; he figured this wasn't anything new to her. A small blue holoscreen appeared in the air, hovering over the device. At the moment it just looked like a static-filled TV screen. Then it cleared up and Nerri's face came in to view.

"Whoa," John said quietly. "Cool."

"Agent 349Z," Nerri greeted flatly. His eyes shifted over to John and he looked startled. "Crichton, you...This is a surprise. Glad to see you made it safely."

"Yeah, thanks," John replied. "Listen Nerri, we've got a plan to get Chiana out of here, but we need your help."

"Of course, anything," Nerri said anxiously, staring hard at John. "What do you need?"

"I need you to call the Establishment and tell them that you're giving yourself up to them."

"What?" Nerri cried.

"It'll keep 'em from killing Chiana," John said. "You don't have to actually come, it'll just give us more time to get our plan going."

"And what, exactly, is this plan of yours?" Nerri asked suspiciously.

Crixque opened his mouth to speak but John beat him to it. "Listen, do you want your sister back or not?"

"Not if it will make this war worse!"

"It won't!" John said loudly. "If anything, it'll _end_ this stupid war!"

Nerri stared at John in silence for a moment. John's heart was pounding in his chest and he pursed his lips with anxiety. Finally, Nerri nodded.

"All right, I'll do it. But you better know what you're doing, Crichton," he warned in a growl. "If you worsen the condition of this war you will be held responsible."

"Yeah I know. Just call the Borg Queen already, we got work to do."

The holoscreen faded away and Crixque picked up the device and stood up. John also got to his feet and turned to face Aeryn.

"This better work, John," she said firmly.

"Yeah," he mumbled. "I hope it does."

**Kythe squinted his eyes** ponderously and fingered his gun. He stared at the blank screen that only a moment ago had displayed Nerri's image.

"Something's going on," he said finally.

"What do you mean?" asked Vayarlla. "Do you not believe Nerri, that he is surrendering to us?"

"It doesn't feel right. Something is going on."

"Do you suspect a conspiracy against the Establishment?"

"Perhaps..." he replied thoughtfully. Then, turning to face her, he said, "Crichton and his mate show up unannounced, Crichton doesn't want Chiana to die and asked to see her, and now in the last quarter arn left of time that we gave Nerri to respond, he calls. Something just isn't right about all this, Vayarlla. Something is going on and I don't like it."

She took a step towards him. "Are you saying that Crichton is up to something? That he is no longer infected?"

Kythe scowled. "I've suspected Crichton the microt he set foot in our hangar. I don't trust him, whether the scans say he's infected or not."

Vayarlla cocked her head to the side with interest and asked, "What should we do then?"

A smile crept to his lips and he lifted his chin into the air. "Bring him to me. And his mate."

Vayarlla also smiled, her mouth twisting into a wicked smile, and she bowed her head in obedience. "It will be done. You will have them within the arn."

**"John, what's the matter?"** Aeryn asked, and though her voice was tinged with mild annoyance, her brow was furrowed with genuine concern.

He was rubbing his face again, and she had learned that when he did that he was either very bothered by something or trying to hide his emotions. She didn't think it to be the latter.

John sighed, and dropping his hands, he shook his head. "I just...I don't like this."

"Don't like -" It clicked, and she realized what he meant. "It was your idea!"

"I know, I know," he sighed. "I just hate blowing stuff up. People are still gonna die, and I'll make another catastrophic mess."

"Well, it's better than the other plan," Aeryn said. "You said so yourself."

"Yeah, but..." He shook his head again. "I just don't like it, Aeryn."

She sat down beside him on the bed, studied him for a moment, then reached for his hand. "I don't like it either, John. But we have to do it."

"Why do we always have to blow something up to get out of the crap we get into?" he mumbled. "Why do people always have to die wherever we go?"

Aeryn gave his hand a light squeeze. His brow was furrowed with sorrow, guilt, pain - that look always made her heart ache.

The door opened and Aeryn was immediately on her feet, ready for action. Anger flared inside her when Vayarlla walked in. The Nebari was wearing a smug smile that seemed to always be there; it made Aeryn's insides churn and her fingers itch for her pulse pistol.

"V," John greeted wearily. He cleared his throat and ran his hand over his eyes one more time. "What's up?"

"I apologize for the interruption, my dear John," Vayarlla said with a slight bow. "But Kythe wishes to speak with you. Both of you." Her eyes flickered over to Aeryn.

"Why?" Aeryn asked in a firm voice.

Vayarlla shook her head. "Kythe is my superior, he does not tell me everything. All that I know is he wants to see you."

John glanced at Aeryn; he had a very bad feeling about this. _Keep cool,_ John thought. _It's fine. Scarface probably just wants to_...He didn't finish the thought; he didn't know _what_ Kythe would want. Yup, this was bad.

"All right," John sighed as he stood up. "Let's go see the big boss man."

* * *

There ya have it. Chapter 15 will be up sometime early next week, I hope. Anyways, please let me know your thoughts and opinions! Feedback is my food. :)

HRS


	15. Chapter XV

**Author's Note:** Hey guys, I'm really sorry that this is late. Things are a bit crazy with school coming to a close and all, and - okay, FINE! I got distracted making a vid, okay? Happy? There, I confessed! Anyways, only one last chapter after this one! So I hope this is enjoyable for you guys and thanks so much for sticking with me.

**CHAPTER XV**

"_Guys, I apologize in advance for any incivility or insensitivity on my part, but it is beer-o'clock, where the hell is my riot?"_

**-John Crichton: _We're So Screwed, Part 2 - Hot to Katratzi_**

* * *

**The knot in John's **stomach clenched painfully tight as he and Aeryn stepped into Kythe's office. He swallowed hard and looped his thumbs in his belt, trying to keep his cool.

Kythe turned to face them upon their entrance, and smiled in a way that sent cold shivers down John's back.

"Crichton, we meet again," the Nebari greeted with a curt nod. "And Officer Sun, it's...a pleasure to meet you."

Aeryn gave him a weak smile and nodded.

"So what's up?" John asked casually as he glanced around the room, his uneasiness growing.

Kythe glanced at Vayarlla, who stepped behind John and Aeryn, standing up straight. The bad feeling in John's stomach got stronger and his hand was itching for Winona.

"I just wanted to speak with you, Crichton," Kythe said innocently. "There are things I need to ask you."

"Sure, no problem," John said with a nod.

Kythe studied him for a moment, then said, "Tell me, Human, exactly how did your cover at the Resistance get blown?"

"Well, Aeryn noticed that something was wrong with me - don't ask me how, it must be just 'cause she's my wife - and she reported it to Nerri," John explained.

"And then they discovered that the Contagion inside you was a different one?" Kythe asked.

"That's right," John nodded.

"So they then decided to send Chiana here to retrieve the cure, correct?"

John swallowed hard, hoping to ride himself of the large lump in his throat. "Yeah, right."

Kythe took a step closer to John, staring him straight in the eye. "So how did you escape?"

For a moment John's mind went blank with fear and he cleared his throat. "Uh, well I...They um...I was strapped down and uh..."

"I helped him," Aeryn cut in.

Kythe turned his gaze to her. "Really? And why would you do that?"

"Because he's my husband," she said firmly. "I don't care what we're doing or what we believe in, I just want to be with him."

Kythe looked disgusted, but he said nothing and returned his gaze to John. "So what made you come here?"

John shrugged. "The only place to go. Besides, I wanted to come home, continue to help serve the greater good."

John didn't like all these questions; something was most definitely wrong.

Kythe turned away and paced around for a brief moment, then, without turning to face John, he said, "Your game is over, Crichton."

"'Scuse me?" John said with a raise of his eyebrows. _Crap,_ he thought. _Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap!_

"Don't keep pretending, it's pointless," Kythe growled as he turned to face John again. "We know that you and Officer Sun are not infected with the Contagion, and we know that you are conspiring against the Establishment."

"Dude, you must be on crack, cause - "

"Shut up!" Kythe snapped. He charged up to John and stopped directly in front of him, glaring with burning eyes. "What the frell are you doing here, Crichton? What's your plan?"

John shook his head. "Look, I dunno what the hell you're talking about."

In one swift movement, Kythe lashed out his hand and grabbed John by the neck and yanked him down to his knees, pulled out his weapon and jammed it into John's jawbone. Aeryn started forward, but Vayarlla grabbed her by the arms and roughly pulled her back.

"Now you listen to me, _Human_," Kythe snarled into John's ear. "There's no point resisting. Tell me what you're planning, or Officer Sun will die."

John's stomach dropped and his blood ran cold. He couldn't see Aeryn, and he couldn't move to get a look at her. His chest constricted and his breathing came in heavier. His mind went blank again and he didn't know what to do.

"_Answer me_, Crichton!" Kythe snapped, and he pressed the muzzle of his weapon harder against John's neck.

"We're just here to spy on you guys," John muttered. "There's no pl - "

Kythe cracked his gun across John's head. The impact threw John to the side, but Kythe pulled him back up. John's vision blurred and his head was spinning; blood trickled down from his mouth.

"The next time you lie to me, she will lose a limb!" Kythe growled.

John gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, waiting for the dizziness and pain to recede. "All right," he said clearly. "I'll tell you what the plan is."

In a blurring motion, John pulled out Winona and took a shot at Kythe's mid section. Kythe growled in pain and released John as he stumbled back, clutching the wound in his stomach. Vayarlla lifted her Nebari tranquilizer and shot it at John, and the blue beam hit him square in the back, knocking him forward flat on his stomach. Aeryn reacted almost instantaneously, slamming her elbow into Vayarlla's ribs, then delivered an extra hard Pentak Jab. Vayarlla collapsed and laid sprawled out on the floor.

Aeryn whirled around and caught sight of Kythe, rising his weapon. In a flash she pulled out her pulse pistol and shot; the blast hit Kythe in the chest and he slumped against the wall before sliding down to the floor.

She ran over to John, adrenaline and concern pumping through her body.

"John?" she called as she rolled him over.

He shifted and let out a moan, then his eyes fluttered open. "Damn, that hurt," he mumbled, his voice slurring.

"Can you get up?" Aeryn asked him urgently.

"Yeah, I think," he grunted as he propped himself up on his elbows. "Where's Winona?" He asked dazedly, his voice still slurring.

Aeryn picked up his gun, laying a few feet away, and handed it to him.

"We have to get moving," Aeryn said. "Now that we've been discovered we have to act immediately."

John glanced at Vayarlla and Kythe as he wiped the blood off his mouth. "Are they dead?"

"No. Come on." She took him by the arm. "Get up."

Aeryn ended up having to pull John to his feet, as he was too numb to move much on his own. She helped him to stay steady before releasing him.

"Damn," John hissed, and after shaking his head he rubbed at his eyes. "I don't like that Borg gun."

"It'll wear off," Aeryn told him as she looked over at the two Nebari, making sure they were still incapacitated.

"Crap, how did they find out about us?" he asked.

"I don't know, but it doesn't matter. We have to get out of here." Aeryn looked around at the walls and ceiling, then said in a low whisper. "They could be listening to us."

"Ah hell," John moaned, and he glanced up at the ceiling. "Okay, let's go."

* * *

**Once they made it** back to their quarters, John let out a gasp, stumbled over to the bed and threw himself down on it. 

"God, my entire body hurts like hell," he groaned.

Aeryn glanced around outside their quarters, then, stepping back into the room, she locked the door.

"We have to contact Crixque and inform him of the situation," Aeryn said, her voice commanding.

"Right," John said as he sat up.

He fumbled around in his pockets until he found the small device Crixque had given him for communication.

"Yo, Quickchex, you hear me?" John said into the unfamiliar comms.

At first there was only a soft static, then a click, silence, and then the Nebari's voice came through.

"_What do you want, Crichton?_" Crixque hissed.

"They're on to us," said John. "We're outta time."

"I_ do not have everything fully prepared_," Crixque said sharply.

"Well you have a little bit of time left, I still have to get over to Chiana," John said. "But that's it. Once I'm there, you gotta set the bombs off."

"_What the frell did you do?_" Crixque snapped. "_How did they discover you are not infected with the Contagion?_"

"Hey, I didn't do anything! Don't blame this on me!" John barked. "This ain't my fault! Just get the damn bombs ready!"

There was a brief silence before Crixque's voice came through again, heavy with bitterness. "_Fine. I'll do what I can_."

"Good. I'll call ya once I get to Chiana."

And with that, John switched off the device and stuffed it back into his pocket.

Adrenaline suddenly pulsed through his body and he felt ready for action. He got to his feet and pulled out Winona for a last minute checkup.

"Aeryn, once we get over to the prison, I want you to wait outside and call Quickchex once I'm in." He pulled out the chakken oil cartridge, took a quick look at it, then rammed it back into his pulse pistol. "I can't do it in there, they'll hear me."

"And what do you want me to do once the bombs go off?"

"Just wait for me outside, make sure everything's all clear and no one's hanging around."

Aeryn nodded curtly, watched him run his hand over his gun before jamming it back into his holster, then looked up at his face. "John?"

"What?" He met her eyes.

She stared at him for a moment, then said, "If we don't make it, D'Argo will be left in the hands of the Peacekeepers - of Grayza."

John returned her gaze in silence, then after licking his lips, he said in a low, firm voice, "We're gonna make it. D'Argo will not be raised by Peacekeepers. One of us will make it back to take care of him."

Her eyes glossed over, making his stomach melt and his heart ache. "Aeryn," he said softly, and took her in his arms. "It's gonna be okay," he said as he stroked her hair. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too, John," Aeryn replied quietly. Then she pulled away from him, straightened her back and spoke with a steady voice. "We have to move. We have no more time."

"Right," John said, standing up straight and shoving aside any worries about his son for the time being. "Let's get this show on the road."

* * *

**John felt as though** his heart were going to burst out of his chest and his temperature had sky rocketed. With every voice he heard he nearly jumped, and his hand pulsed with a longing for Winona. 

_Keep calm_, he told himself. _Act normal. You're almost there. It'll all be over soon._

He rounded a corner leading to the corridor where Chiana's cell was located. It took nearly everything he had to keep himself from running top speed to the cell door.

Stopping in front of the door, he squeezed Winona's handle and used his other hand to unlock the cell door. There was a loud clank, which startled him, and then the door slid open. He stepped inside without hesitation.

"Aeryn, I'm in," he murmured into his comms.

"Crichton!" Chiana exclaimed when she saw him. "What took you so frelling long? Can we go now?"

John glanced up at nothing in particular, worried about the security. It didn't really matter, his cover was already blown and the bombs would be going off at any second.

"Not yet," he said as he walked over to her.

"Well why not?" Chiana shrieked.

John reached up and pulled the handcuffs loose, freeing Chiana. "Because we have to wait for - "

The ground shook so violently that it knocked them both off their feet, and a loud, roaring rumble rang in their ears.

"For that!" John yelled over the noise as he sat up.

The blue emergency lights flashed on, and as the deep rumbling faded it was replaced with the high-pitched alarm bells.

"Come on!" John shouted to Chiana over the alarm. He grabbed her arm and helped her to her feet.

Pulling out Winona, he lead Chiana out into the hallway. All the cell doors had opened, their chained occupants screaming and shouting. Guards and other personal were running about in panic, some crowding around the main entrance in a rush to get out. There were cracks in the walls and ceiling, and already chunks of debris littered the floor.

"_John, hurry the frell up!_" Aeryn's harsh voice crackled through his comms.

"I'm _coming_, Aeryn," he hissed back irritably.

He turned back to look at Chiana. "Stay close to me, Pip."

She nodded eagerly.

The ground shook again, less violently this time, and the rumble was distant. John wobbled and put his hand against the wall to regain his balance. He glanced over his shoulder to check on Chiana, then continued on.

John did his best to ignore the prisoner's cries of fear and desperation, but he felt a strong pang of guilt. Those captives wouldn't be able to escape; they would die. He halted in his hesitation to leave them.

"Crichton? What's the matter?" Chiana asked as she looked around frantically for the problem.

"These prisoners," John said, looking in a cell at a woman struggling against her restraints. "They'll die here."

Chiana shook her head softly. "We can't help them, Crichton. We have to move."

John said nothing and continued to watch the desperate prisoner, tears streaking down her face as she tried frantically to free herself.

"Crichton, we don't have time to help them!" Chiana said loudly over the ringing alarm.

Another distant explosion rocked the ground, snapping John back into reality. He swallowed hard and tore his eyes away from the woman. His insides churned as he walked away from the cell.

They came to an intersection in the corridor, and something hard and heavy slammed into John, knocking him off his feet. He landed flat on his back and stared up at the ceiling in a daze, the wind knocked out of him.

"Crichton!" Chiana shouted in panic.

He blinked, and taking a deep breath, lifted his head up. Vayarlla was standing over him, a pulse pistol in her hand and her eyes glistening wildly.

"Get away from him!" Chiana shrieked, and she lunged towards Vayarlla.

Vayarlla grabbed Chiana by the neck and lifted her into the air. Chiana gasped and kicked her legs, but it was useless. Vayarlla narrowed her eyes, smiled, and said, "So sorry, Chiana dear." And in one swift movement, she brought her pulse pistol up to Chiana's stomach and pulled the trigger.

Chiana's legs stopped kicking and she went slack, her eyes rolling back into her head. Vayarlla released her hold, dropping Chiana to the floor.

"Chiana," John said breathlessly, fear coursing down his body.

Vayarlla turned to face him.

"I'm very disappointed in you, Johnny dear," she said with a shake of her head.

John reached for Winona, but Vayarlla kicked her out of his reach. She kicked him across the face, throwing him back against the floor again; blood trickled down his chin and smeared across his mouth.

Smiling smugly, Vayarlla lowered herself into a sitting position on top of him. She pressed the muzzle of her pulse pistol into his jaw and leaned down close to his face.

"You are a fool, Crichton," she snarled. "You cannot destroy this building."

"Doing a pretty good job so far," John muttered.

Another explosion shook the floor and the walls; pieces of concrete fell from the ceiling.

"Even if this building goes down, the Establishment will live on," she hissed. Then a twisted smile stretched across her face. "But you, my dear John Crichton, will not."

John grabbed her by the hair and slammed her head down hard into the floor. Then he shoved her off him and dove for Winona. Vayarlla lunged after him, landing hard on top of him, pinning him down. John grunted in frustration, his fingers just inches from Winona.

Vayarlla grabbed a fistful of his hair and pushed his head down hard into the ground. She leaned down to his ear and hissed, "You shouldn't have betrayed me, Crichton. I didn't want to have to kill you, but you've left me no choice."

John struggled against her, but she was far too strong. He felt like her hand was about to squash his head flat. He reached again desperately for Winona, but he still couldn't grab her.

"And such a shame," Vayarlla purred. "That you must go to waste."

She nipped his ear, making his stomach lurch and his toes curl. He grimaced and made another attempt at reaching Winona.

"Good-bye, John Crichton," Vayarlla said, her voice loud and prideful. "I will miss you."

John's breath snagged painfully in his chest when he felt the muzzle of her pulse pistol press against the back of his head.

His fingers were touching Winona now, just a little further, just another second -

His heart stopped dead and he froze when he heard the sound of a pulse blast. For a moment he had lost all five senses and his mind went blank. There was a growl, a few more pulse blasts, then the weight on his back lifted and the pulse pistol was removed from his head. For a second he remained completely still; then he slowly twisted around to see Vayarlla sprawled out on the floor, blue blood pouring from her chest and stomach and splattered across her face. Her dark eyes were wide, but there was no longer any sparkle in them. John felt a mix of relief and sorrow wash over him.

Aeryn's voice brought him back to reality.

"John? John, are you all right?" she asked urgently, kneeling beside him and staring at him with fear etched across her face.

"Yeah," he said quietly as he tore his eyes away from Vayarlla's corpse. "I'm fine."

He snatched up Winona, and quickly getting to his feet, he rushed over to Chiana. Sinking to his knees, he carefully rolled her on her back.

"Pip?" he said shakily, leaning down close to her.

"What happened to her?" Aeryn asked from beside him.

"Vayarlla," he replied simply. "Where do you check for pulse on a Nebari?"

Aeryn checked for Chiana's pulse herself rather than answer. "She's alive," she announced.

"We gotta get her outta here," John said as he looked Chiana over. He carefully slid his hands under Chiana and lifted her into his arms.

"Okay," he huffed as he got to his feet. "Aeryn, you lead the way to the escape route."

Her eyebrows furrowed and she said, "I don't know where it is!"

"I thought Crixque gave you the layout of the building!"

The ground shook more violently than before, and more pieces crumbled from the ceiling. John nearly reeled backwards, but Aeryn steadied him.

"Okay, get the K-Mart comms from my pouch!" John shouted over the high-pitched alarm.

Aeryn hurriedly pulled open the pouch on his hip and took out the Nebari comms device.

"Crixque, answer me right now," Aeryn demanded into the comms.

They could barely hear Crixque's voice over the loud rumbling and alarms.

"Hey Quickchex!" John shouted into the comms. "The damn bomb went off, get us the frell outta here!"

Aeryn held the comms up to her ear to listen, then brought it back down and switched it off.

"What's going on? What'd he say?" John asked impatiently.

"I know where it is. Come on."

Pulling out her pulse pistol again, Aeryn spun around and began walking quickly. John followed close behind.

As they rushed through hallways and passed panicking people, John looked down at Chiana and his throat constricted. She was completely limp in his arms, and looking at the wound in her stomach actually made him feel queasy. He tightened his arms around her, holding her closer against him.

_Hang on, Chiana. You're gonna be okay. Just a couple more minutes and you'll be safe. Just hang in there, Pip, please._

John was jolted to the side by a Nebari rushing passed him, and he suddenly realized that they were now in a tunnel, crowded with people who were pushing and shoving their way through. He held on even tighter to Chiana, not wanting her to be knocked out of his arms. He wanted to ask Aeryn if she really knew where she was going, but he knew that she wouldn't hear him over all the noise.

Aeryn suddenly reached back to grab a hold of his jacket collar and pulled him into another tunnel he hadn't even seen. This one was much less crowded and much narrower.

The next few minutes went by in a blur, and soon John found that they were in a small hangar, holding only three small ships. Aeryn rushed over to one and John followed. Without hesitation, they ran up the boarding ramp. Aeryn started up the vessel while John ever so carefully laid Chiana down on the floor. He felt the ship lift off from the ground, and he looked back at the boarding ramp closing. Once he heard the thunk of the ship sealing up, he let out a deep breath and leaned back against the wall.

It was finally over.

* * *

**John couldn't take his** eyes off Chiana. Part of him wanted her to wake up, but another part was glad that she hadn't. He didn't want her to have to feel the pain her pulse blast wound must've been causing. 

Neither he nor Aeryn had said anything. They had been sitting in silence for nearly a quarter arn now; Aeryn was still punching in coordinates and making sure they weren't being followed.

Shortly after his wave of relief, John had been filled with a mix of strong emotions, mainly guilt and sorrow. How many times now had he caused hundreds of deaths? How many times had he committed an act of destruction to save himself and those he loved?

The image of the woman prisoner, struggling desperately against her restraints had played in his mind repeatedly. The cries of help and screams of fear from the other prisoners rang loudly in his ears. And everywhere he turned, he saw Vayarlla's lifeless body, her black eyes dull and empty. A shudder ran down his spine and his bit his tongue.

"She's going to be all right, John," came Aeryn's gentle voice.

He snapped out of his reverie and focused on Chiana again. "I'm just worried about her," he said quietly, and he reached out to stroke the young Nebari's soft, white hair.

As he did so, the scene of Vayarlla shooting Chiana went through his mind; he pursed his lips into a thin line and brushed his fingers over Chiana's cheek.

"It's just a pulse blast wound," Aeryn told him softly. "She'll recover."

He was about to argue with her, but then decided against it; he wasn't up for that right now.

Closing his eyes, he leaned back against the wall, braced his elbows on his knees and put his face in his hands. Aeryn sat down beside him, but said nothing.

"Aeryn..." John lifted his eyes from his hands, but his mouth remained hidden. "When I got caught by Vayarlla, how did you...What made you come?"

"You were taking too long. I was worried," she answered, her voice still soft and loving.

John stared into space for a moment, then said in a low tone, "There were other people there, innocent people. Prisoners..." His voice died away and his eyes glazed over.

Aeryn swallowed and said, "They could still be alive."

"Chained up and alone...suffering, dying..."

She licked her lips, then spoke very gently. "They were enslaved by the Establishment, and eventually would be infected with the Contagion. If anything, you saved them."

John said nothing, he only continued to stare at nothing, his hands over his mouth.

"None of this is your fault, John," Aeryns aid with a slight shake of her head.

"Yes it is."

"No it's not," she said firmly. "It was not your idea to set off a bomb inside the Establishment. The original plan would have caused hundreds more deaths. You saved them."

"People still died, Aeryn. Good or bad, a thousand or one - it doesn't matter. Lives were still lost."

Aeryn spoke softly again. "We did what we had to, John. We had no choice."

John buried his face in his hands again and let out a deep, trembling breath.

Aeryn's chest swelled with sorrow; she hated seeing John in such a state. Reaching out to him, she tenderly stoked the nape of his neck. With one hand, he reached down around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She rested her head in the crook of his neck and continued to run her cool fingertips over the back of his head.

The remainder of the trip took place in silence.

* * *

Well, what'd you all think? Let me know all thoughts and opinions and stuff! I'll try to get Chapter 16 - the last chapter - up as quickly as I can, probably sometime midweek next week. Thanks all for reading, and don't forget to leave feedback! 

HRS


	16. Chapter XVI

**Author's Notes:** Oh gosh, whoa guys, this is it! This is the end! Maaan, I can't believe this story is over now! It seems like just yesterday to me that I started it! had a total blast writing this story, frustrating at times, but fun, and I hope you guys had as much fun reading it. I don't know what I'd do without you all! I thank you a million times over for reading my story and sticking with it! Thank you thank you thank you thank you! Jumps up and down I love ya guys, you all rock! Thanks for all the wonderful reviews and feedback! I REALLY majorly appreciate it. Totally. And for those who are wondering, yes, I do have another story planned, but it probably won't be up for a couple months. I wanna finish it before I post it. Keep an eye out. Anyways, thanks all again, and I hope you enjoy...the last chapter of The Nebari Factor.

**CHAPTER XVI**

"_I have a child that I'll never know."_

**-John Crichton: _Look at the Princess, Part 3 - The Maltese Crichton_**

* * *

****

**John watched with worry** pounding in his chest as Chiana was rushed off by a group of medics. He stared at her limp form on the bed until she disappeared into the elevator.

The entire base buzzed with panic and excitement. People were rushing to and fro; shouts and orders were being thrown across the room and spilling from speakers. And Nerri wasn't happy about it at all.

"You're a complete _idiot,_ Crichton!" the Nebari snarled. "Great idea! Blowing up the Establishment! It's not that simple, or else we would have done it cycles ago!"

John was in no mood for a heated discussion at the moment; he was too exhausted. "Look," he said as he rubbed at his eyes. "We just wanted a way to get out without being caught."

"I said not to do anything to make this war worse! You've complicated it a thousand fold!" Nerri shouted. "Setting off explosions inside the Establishment headquarters will _not_ end this war! By your act of utter stupidity, you've - "

"Look, I don't give a damn how I've heightened the drama of this damn war!" John barked. "I was dragged into coming to this dump heap of a planet, got screwed over ten times and had to risk my ass to go save Chiana from the Borg! You've got the frelling Peacekeepers on your side and the Establishment is running all over the place in a panic, pissing their pants. Make a move for crying out loud!"

"It's - not - that - easy," Nerri growled through gritted teeth.

"Whatever," John said with a wave of his hand. "I don't care. I just want to get some shut-eye. I'm heading back to my quarters; let me know when Chiana - "

"What the frell happened to her? You were supposed to _protect_ her!"

John stopped and groaned. "Oh God, Nerri, would you stop bitching at me already?" He turned to face the Nebari. "I did what I could. We got ambushed and she got shot with a pulse pistol. End of story. Now I'm going to my room. Let me know when she's okay."

He spun around and began to walk off. Before he got three paces, he heard Nerri call angrily from behind, "CRICHTON!"

With a heavy sigh of annoyance, John stopped and rolled his eyes. He turned around, ready to snap something sarcastic. But his words caught in his throat; Nerri had his pulse pistol out and aimed at John.

They stared at each other in a tense silence, Nerri glaring at John with piercing eyes and John with his hand hanging tensely next to Winona.

Nerri worked his jaw, his glare darkened, and he said in a low, angry growl, "...Thanks."

John's hard expression turned to puzzlement. He stared at the Nebari for a few passing seconds, then he cleared his throat and nodded. "Uh...right."

He took a couple cautious steps back, still staring hard at Nerri. He really did not want to make this guy pop his top. He went back a couple more steps, then turned around again uncomfortably and continued walking. He didn't like turning his back to a pulse pistol, especially when it was a pissed off, exhausted Nebari with half his mind holding it. _He's lost it_, John thought. _Guy needs a bath and a hug._

Once John rounded the corner, he relaxed his muscles a bit and gave his head a good shake to clear it. Aeryn had already headed back to their quarters for some cleaning up and rest, and he was desperate to join her for the same. He felt so tired that he couldn't even block off the constant images of the frantic Establishment prisoners, Chiana being shot in the stomach, himself bashing in Aeryn's head when he was mind cleaned, or Vayarlla running her hands down his body in a darkened cell.

He finally made it to their quarters and stumbled inside. Aeryn was sitting cross-legged on the bed; she must've taken a shower already, because her hair was fluffed from being recently dried, and her skin was flushed. John stood where he was for a second, gazing at her. She looked beautiful, and at that moment he felt an overwhelming amount of love and gratefulness that he had her with him. He would truly be lost without her.

She was watching him, her brow wrinkled slightly with concern. John broke out of his thoughts and strode over to climb onto the bed. He stretched out on his stomach beside his wife, exhaled deeply and shut his eyes.

"Are they taking care of Chiana?" Aeryn asked quietly.

"Yeah," he answered.

Neither of them spoke again, and John got a feeling that something was bothering her. He opened his eyes and looked up at her; she was staring down into her lap.

"Honey, what's the matter?"

Aeryn's head snapped up and she said, "Nothing."

"I don't think so, Aeryn. Tell me what's wrong."

"It's nothing, John; I was just thinking." She reached down to run her fingers through his hair. "Just rest, you need it."

John sat up and turned to face her. "Aeryn, if you're worried about not wanting to make me worry, it's not working. You're making me worry by not telling me. Just...please, tell me what's bothering you."

She bit her lip for a moment, then said, "I want to go get D'Argo."

At the mention of their son, John suddenly missed him very badly. Worry and fear also overcame him, and hundreds of horrible possibilities passed through his mind. John nearly jumped off the bed, his energy renewed.

"Let's go get him."

Aeryn stared at him with a look of pure concern. "John - no, you need to rest, you've been through a lot."

"Aeryn, I'm not gonna rest while our son is up with the Peacekeepers and Commandant Cleavage. We're going to get him - now."

* * *

**As soon as they** set foot on the command carrier, John had his hand resting on Winona and his eyes darted around alertly. He didn't want to spend any more time here than they needed to; he just wanted to grab D'Argo and hit the road. But as soon as he saw Grayza, that feeling dissolved completely. Images of his purplish-blue-eyed daughter flashed before his eyes and his stomach knotted up; he suddenly wanted to see and hold her again.

Grayza's dark lips twisted into a fake smile and her eyes sharpened. "Crichton, I see you have returned to your normal state of mind. I'm assuming you're here for your offspring."

"That's right," John nodded. "We're picking him up from Day Care and then we're leaving."

"Good," Grayza said sharply. "Come with me."

John and Aeryn followed her silently; both of them had their hands planted on their pulse pistols and they were tense with alertness. To John it seemed like an eternity before they finally reached the room where their son was being held. Aeryn immediately rushed over to their son, picked him up, and held him close against her, checking to make sure he was exactly the same as when they had brought him here.

But John wasn't paying attention to his son. His eyes were set on the bed through the glass window on the side of the room, watching the small baby inside intently.

"He has been under constant watch and treated with the utmost care," Grayza was saying about D'Argo. "He has been well fed and kept healthy."

At hearing the words "well fed," Aeryn threw a dark glare over at Grazya and held her child even more protectively against her body.

"We can go now," Aeryn said firmly.

"Not yet," John said dazedly.

Both women looked at him, Aeryn in anger and confusion and Grayza with curiosity.

John turned to face Grayza, his expression hard and his eyes dark. "I wanna see my daughter."

A heavy, uncomfortable silence fell for a moment. Then Grayza cocked her head to the side, no longer smiling, and said darkly, "You do not have the right to make such a request."

He tilted his head slightly and his gaze darkened as he took a step toward her. "I have every right; I'm her father."

Grazya nearly bristled with anger. "This is my command carrier, Crichton," she growled. "I don't have to let you do anything."

"You dragged me into this war to help you; I gave you the bluff you wanted. I deserve to see her."

"You did _nothing_," Grayza said clearly. "You couldn't even use the wormhole weapon; you lied to me."

"You didn't ask for me to use it," John snarled. "You asked for a bluff, so I gave it to you. I know you _really_ wanted me to use the Doomsday weapon on the Borg, but that's not what the deal was. I did my part of the bargain; I wanna make sure you don't hurt my child."

Grayza was glaring at him with pure anger burning in her eyes. "You think I'd really hurt my own child?" she snapped.

"I wouldn't put it past you," John said. "And besides, Peacekeepers have no attachments. It wouldn't matter to you whether she died or not."

"I will not hurt her," Grayza stated in a firm tone. "I merely threatened you with that because I know how sensitive you are."

Shivers ran down his body and his throat went tight. She must've seen his confidence fall, because a smug smile stretched across her face and her eyes gleamed.

John angrily pressed his lips into a tight line and said darkly, "Just let me see my daughter."

Grayza now looked very proud of herself, and lifting her chin into the air and still smiling, she said, "Very well."

* * *

**It was most definitely** an awkward situation, standing there with Aeryn at his side, cradling their son in her arms, while they gazed down at his daughter. The same shaking fear of touching the baby washed over him and a lump formed in his throat. She smiled brightly up at him, her transfixing eyes wide and sparkling, reaching her hands towards him, fingers opening and closing longingly.

John's forehead creased heavily and his heart hammered in his chest. He bent down and shakily lifted her up into his arms. She giggled with joy and grabbed a tiny fistful of his jacket and tugged on it playfully, still giggling.

The corners of his mouth twitched into a small smile as he gazed down at her. At seeing him smile, the baby smiled wider and made a loud sound of joy. His heart clenched and he couldn't help but smile broader. She was so beautiful, so small and so full of joy...his little gorgeous daughter...Suddenly an image of a woman with dark hair and blue-purple eyes in a Peacekeeper uniform, scowling and pointing a gun at him flashed across his mind and his smile wavered and died. She was going to be a Peacekeeper...his daughter, was going to be a soldier, with no emotions or attachments or morals, knowing nothing but violence and weaponry. She was going to be a space Nazi. His daughter, a Peacekeeper.

Tears stung his eyes and the smiling image of his daughter began to blur. She tugged on his jacket again, and reached up at his face with her other tiny hand. Her small fingers patted at his jaw line and she giggled. John took in a shuddering breath and a small tear escaped his eye, sliding down his face.

He felt Aeryn place her hand on his shoulder, but he didn't look at her. His eyes were glued to the daughter that he would never know or see. He suddenly held onto her tighter; he didn't want to let her go, didn't want to leave her here with Grayza and the Peacekeepers. He wanted to take her back to Moya, give her a name, raise her himself, the way children were meant to be raised. He wanted to watch her learn and grow, answer her questions of curiosity and play with her when she wanted to have fun. He wanted to teach her how to write and how to read, how to fly his module and a transport pod, how to work the door controls on Moya and learn her way through the many passageways. He wanted to watch her play and grow with her half-brother, D'Argo.

"Hey," John said softly to his daughter, and he smiled faintly. "You know who I am? I'm your dad. I'm never gonna see you again, probably, so I just want you to know that I love you."

She giggled again and her hand patted at his chin.

John continued, his voice still soft, tears pooling in his eyes. "I'm never gonna forget you."

Aeryn squeezed his shoulder gently.

John gave his daughter a watery smile as she tugged on his coat again, gazing up brightly at him. He carefully laid her back down on her small bed and bent over to give her a tender kiss, his lips lingering on her forehead for a moment. Then he stroked her thin layer of dark, soft hair and gazed at her face one last time, trying to memorize every aspect of it. She was smiling open-mouthed and making happy sounds at him. But when he stood up straight again she shrieked in disappointment and waved her arms at him. Her face scrunched up into a pout and tears flooded her eyes.

His heart pounded harder, his chest swelling with pain and sorrow. His hands began to shake and he quickly ran one over his face. He shut his eyes and forced himself to turn away from the crib. Aeryn took his hand in hers and she gave it a gentle squeeze. He squeezed back, grateful for her presence and comfort. He opened his eyes again, now facing the wall. His daughter was still making small sounds behind him, making his heart throb even more. Taking a deep, trembling breath, he tightened his hold on his wife's hand and headed for the door, leaving his daughter behind, never to see her again.

* * *

**John sat beside Aeryn, **watching her hold their son up on his feet in her lap. He smiled as he watched his son grin brightly and giggle, and Aeryn was beaming so brilliantly it made his stomach melt. She bounced her knees lightly, bobbing D'Argo up and down, making him laugh. He had most certainly been happy to see them; he had been all smiles ever since they had picked him up.

Things had been tense and silent on their way back to base, but the mood was starting to lighten up now. John and Aeryn were talking to each other and playing with D'Argo. John felt like they were a family again - only they weren't on Moya.

He hadn't been able to get his daughter out of his head, but Aeryn had been giving him small touches of love and comfort. And spending time with just her and their son in their quarters was helping a good deal. At one point she asked him how he was doing; he only said he'd be all right. He didn't think she believed him, but they'd deal with it once they got back to Moya.

And they _were_ going back. Soon. He didn't care if the war had escalated, his part was over and Chiana was safe. They didn't need to be here anymore; there wasn't any point. And if Nerri tried to blame him or keep him here for blowing up the Establishment, John was going to flip him off and leave anyways. No one was going to keep him down here on this God forsaken planet. He had finished with fighting and running around and getting involved in wars a long time ago. And he had promised Aeryn that they would disappear and live their lives the way they wanted. He was looking forward to it, and he knew that she was as well.

He was still exhausted, but he hadn't said anything. He didn't want to worry Aeryn or cut short their time alone together as a family. It had felt like forever since he had seen his little tadpole, and he missed the guy. And Aeryn...the last time they had more than 5 minutes alone together was in a transport pod on the way to the Establishment, making love like they were going to die in an arn. He wanted to keep sitting here beside her on the bed, watching her with his son. It was a beautiful sight, seeing his wife and his child together, both of them smiling so wide their faces could split.

After a while D'Argo fell asleep in Aeryn's arms, and John was resting his chin on her shoulder, his hand around her waist, and his eyes were slowly falling shut as he watched his sleeping child. Some of Aeryn's hair brushed across his cheek as she turned her head, making him smile. Then he felt her lips on his temple in a soft kiss and he smiled wider as he tightened his arm around her waist. They sat there in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's presence.

The heavy sleep fogging John's mind lifted and his eyes snapped open when he heard the door to their quarters slide open. He sat up and looked over to find Chiana standing in the doorway. His face lit up, and getting to his feet he rushed over to her.

"Hey old man," Chiana greeted with a smile.

John just gazed at her, too happy that she was all right. Then he took a step forward, closing the space between them and enveloped her in a warm, tight embrace. He softly rocked her, stroking her fluffy hair. "I'm sorry," he whispered.

"What the frell for?" she asked.

"For not protecting you, for letting you get shot," he murmured.

Chiana pulled back to look him in the face and reached up to stroke his cheek. "Hey, it's not your fault. I mean...you...you saved me from those Establishment fekkiks."

John stared at her, then smiled lopsidedly, and taking her face in his hands, he kissed her on the forehead. "I'm glad you're okay."

Chiana looked over and spotted Aeryn with little D'Argo in her arms. Her face lit up again with a bright smile and she bounced over to them.

"Hey little Crichton," she said quietly as she stroked his head. Then she bent down to kiss him lightly on the forehead. "I'm glad he's okay," she said to Aeryn, her eyes still on the baby. "I didn't like him being up there with those Peacekeeper frellnicks."

"Neither did we," Aeryn said, smiling faintly.

"Hey Pip," John said, coming up beside them. "We're heading back to Moya soon, and uh..." He paused and licked his lips. "We just wanna know what you wanna do."

Chiana's smile had faded and she shuffled her feet uncomfortably. "I uh...I...I wanna stay." She looked up into his eyes and swallowed. "I - I mean...I've finally found Nerri a-and I wanna help out here. I - I mean, th-there's a lot to do, and the war's still going - "

"Chiana," John interrupted, his voice soft. "It's okay. We understand."

The young Nebari smiled shyly, then asked, "Well uh...w-where are you guys gonna go?"

"We don't know yet," Aeryn said. "But we'll let you know when we do."

"Yeah, you gotta come visit," John said, his smile crooked and faint.

Chiana smiled. "Of course I will. There's no getting rid of me." Her smile slowly faded and her eyes filled with sorrow. "When...when are you guys leaving?"

"Soon as we can," John replied.

Chiana nodded and swallowed hard. She looked down at the floor and said shakily. "I...I'm really gonna m-miss you guys. And I'm sorry that I got you into this frelling war."

John shook his head. "That's not your fault, Chiana. Don't apologize for it."

She lifted her eyes to him again, then threw herself at him in a hard, tight hug. John chuckled sadly, and hugging her back, he kissed her on the top of her head.

* * *

**Being on Moya again **gave John the usual sense of calm, but it was even stronger this time, and it seemed to erase all his problems. Her soft hums and warm, friendly hallways made him forget about the last few days, and he felt happy again. He was home.

Aeryn had gone to their quarters while John went to visit Pilot. He smiled when the door swiveled open, and when he stepped inside and saw Pilot, he smiled wider.

"Commander Crichton," Pilot greeted. "It's good to see you again."

"Thanks Pilot," John said as he crossed the catwalk to the console. "Good to see you too."

"Moya and I were becoming quite concerned."

"Yeah, things got kinda crazy down there. Sorry we didn't call."

"Not at all, Commander. I understand that you and Officer Sun were quite busy. Has the Nebari civil war ended?"

"Not exactly," John said uneasily. "But we're done and clear to go. Is Moya up for a couple starbursts?"

"Most certainly," Pilot nodded. "She has been eager to continue traveling for some time now."

"Well," John said with a small smile. "Let her go wild."

"Is there a specific location you would like to go?" Pilot asked.

"Nah, just take us somewhere we can lay low for a while."

"Of course, Commander," Pilot said with another nod.

"Thanks man." John placed his hand gently on the shell of Pilot's head. "Missed you and Moya. It's good to be back."

"And Moya and I are happy you have returned," Pilot replied.

John smiled lopsidedly again, gently patted Pilot's head, then turned around and walked out.

He took his time getting to his quarters. He missed strolling through the golden corridors, just listening to the soft hums and getting lost in thought. He ended up finding himself out on the Terrace. The hallways and the room filled with the sound of Moya preparing to starburst; he looked up and watched as a soft blue light spilled over the Terrace. The room jolted slightly with take off, and a smile stretched across his face.

"Here you are," came Aeryn's voice from behind.

John turned to look over his shoulder and he offered his wife a crooked smile. "Hey."

Her eyes sparkled and she said, "Hey." She walked up beside him, gazing out at the stars. "Happy to be back?"

John took in a deep breath, inhaling the familiar, subtle smells of the ship, and let it out slowly. "Totally."

There was a brief silence before Aeryn spoke again. "So where are we going?"

"We're disappearing, just like I promised."

Aeryn reached down and intertwined her fingers with his. John lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. She stepped around in front of him and leaned into him, her head resting in the crook of his neck and her chest rising and falling against his. John placed his arms around her waist and held her close as he looked up at the sparkling stars.

He was home.

* * *

Inserts end credits Star Wars music LOL J/K . So there it is, the end of The Nebari Factor. I hope you all enjoyed, and I am most eager for thoughts, so please leave them here for me. :) A big thanks goes out to you all for reading this, I am eternally gratefull. Luv ya guys, you all rock. Group Hug!

HRS


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